Death's Cry
by Wings of Metal
Summary: Everyone always thought he was fine. A few questions left unanswered are no big deal. But those few questions make up his past, present, and future. They make him who he is. However, during a school project, Frankie and the ghouls must dig into the past without burying anyone in its shadows in the process.
1. Author's Note

**Warning: This is an author's note. If you do not wish to read this, please proceed to the next chapter. Thank you.**

* * *

This story has taken up my life, but it's all worth it. I wound up writing the entire thing, then published it. This was to not get an awful case of writer's block. This started over two years ago, and my characters have grown a lot since then. There are a lot of things I've found and used for the story. Most are things I've heard my friends say. There are many OC's in this story, so it may be hard to keep track.

I probably would have published this later, but Boo York Boo York is about to come out, and I don't want it to screw with my story. That and I already have an OC named "Seth" and when Seth from Monster High came out, I wanted to scream and rip my hair out. I am **NOT** changing my character's name. Seth Gorgon is a Seth and will always be a Seth.

I admit Deuce's background is very dark, which may be why he's mysterious now. None of us know much about his home life except that "family's complicated." But how complicated is it? This also sparked my story.

I actually rewrote the story. It used to be in script format, but it's changed to a normal story. Hopefully, that makes it easier to read.

I will give you their bios, but here's a quick overview of the main ones.

•Madison is the middle triplet and sixth oldest child of Mark. She is Medusa's daughter and has an older brother, Deuce, and a younger sister, Ianthe. Madison has emerald green snake eyes, shoulder-length Green Mambas for hair, scales on her left bicep, and naturally dark raspberry lips. Madison wears corsets and long, black skirts. She also has many disorders, which range from anxiety to depression to post-traumatic stress disorder. She loves making music and is known for her four-octave range and amazing piano skills.

•Ianthe is the youngest triplet and seventh oldest child of Mark. Like Deuce and Madison, she is also Medusa's child. Since she is Madison's identical triplet, she looks identical to Maddie, with green eyes, Green Mambas for hair, and scales on her bicep. She wears a sky blue corset and black skirt. She likes making music, but prefers to be a backup singer.

•Lamia is the oldest of the Gorgon children. Her American father, Luke West, and her Greek mother, Euryale Gorgon, parent her and her brother, Seth. Lamia has Black Mambas (that are actually white, despite the name) for hair that are styled to be "wavy" and end in the middle of her back. She also has glowing, ice blue eyes, a black and white striped, off-the-shoulder tee with a Parental Advisory sign on it, booty shorts, fishnet leggings, and knee-length boots. She also is covered in tattoos on her arms, neck, back, foot, and hands. She is a juvenile reject with a love for troublesome activities and making music. She plays many instruments, but is best at bass guitar, flute, and violin.

•Seth is Lamia's brother and Luke West's and Euryale Gorgon's son. He has Inland Taipans for hair that end right at the ear and stormy gray eyes. He has a sky blue, graphic tee that says "Guns don't kill people. I kill people." He also wears ripped, blue jeans. He has a tattoo of a skull with drumsticks going through the eye sockets on his back, a lilypad for his girlfriend, Amelia, on his left side of his waist, music notes on his right thigh, and has "αγάπη" (love in Greek) tattooed on his left wrist, which matches Amelia's. He is laid-back, but troublesome when paired with Lamia. He is Amelia's boyfriend, and he has a love for music, especially punk rock and metal. He also loves making music. He plays drums as well as other instruments and has a tenor voice.

•Mark is the oldest OC. He has brown hair, green eyes, tan skin, and Deuce and Gabriel get most of their looks from him. He fathers many children, but winds up "getting rid of" one or two every so often. He married Medusa, but divorced her four and a half years later. He later remarried to Marisa Pallen. He is an alcoholic with abusive tendencies.

•Marisa is the oldest female OC. She has brown, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. She mothers Kira and Iris. Kira looks very much like her. She married a Rainbüster, divorced him, then married Mark. She is a drug addict with abusive tendencies.

•Gwendolyn is the oldest half sister and first born Jayne kid. She is spawn of a normie and demon. Her skin is slightly reddish, her eyes are green with blacks instead of whites, and her hair is black, straight, and shoulder-length with bangs. She always wears an infinity bracelet on her left wrist and loves purple. She is overprotective of her half-siblings and doesn't get along well with Gabriel. However, she is close with Evangeline.

•Gabriel is the second oldest Jayne kid. He is son of an angel and normie. He has caramel hair with bangs that are flipped to the side, green eyes, tan skin, a golden halo, and large wings. He wears a sky blue v-neck and jeans. Gabe also gets most of his looks from Mark, his father. He is very religious and caring, but is called "Mr. Perfect" by his half brothers and sisters. He doesn't get along with Gwendolyn, his polar opposite, though.

•Kira is the eldest daughter of Marisa and one of the Jaynes' stepsisters. She is a normie-Rainbüster. She looks a lot like Marisa, her mother, with her blue eyes and shoulder-length brown hair. However, she has two, rainbow, teardrop-shaped horns at the top of her head. Iris is her only sister. Kira loves reading, books, silence, and has a monotone voice. She does love Green Day though.

•Jason is the third oldest kid of Mark and the older brother of Ashton. Jason is a normie-faun hybrid with clean-cut, dark brown hair, green eyes, hooves for feet, and furry legs the same brown as his hair. He wears a black muscle shirt. He is a jock who loves sports, especially casketball, football, and baseball.

•Iris is the second oldest stepsister, and is the daughter of Marisa and the Rainbüster. She has wavy, blue hair that fades to a light indigo and blue eyes. Iris also wears a necklace that has a pot of gold charm. She is very dramatic. Iris wants to be an actress, which is her dream job. She hates libraries and only wishes to act. She listens to Panic! at the Disco, and her dream is to touch Brendan Urie's hair.

•Evangeline is the fourth oldest spawn of Mark and a fairy. She has curly, blonde hair that is shoulder-length, green eyes, and wings that are each two feet wide. She is cheery and happy, but is close to Gwendolyn, her polar opposite.

•Caleen is the eight oldest child of Mark. She is a dryad, and her designated tree is the Eucalyptus. She has caramel, wavy hair that is put into two pigtails and reaches mid-torso. She has green eyes and always wears a flower behind her right ear. She is a typical nature ghoul, but is very happy.

•Ashton is not only a normie-faun, but he's Jason's brother and the ninth child of Mark Jayne. He has green eyes, clean-cut, blonde hair, a red tee, hooves for feet, and blonde, furry legs. He loves to run. He's on track and field and cross country, not to mention many other sports. He is a slight prankster, but just likes to have fun.

•Roxie is the tenth child of Mark. She's a normie and sylph, or an air-elemental. Roxie has wavy, black, shoulder-length hair put into low pigtails, green eyes, a red shirt, and black jeans. She has a twin sister named Lacie, and Roxie is Lacie's mirror twin. Lacie and Roxie are polar opposites, but they are still close.

•Lacie is the eleventh spawn of Mark and is also a sylph. She has long, wavy, blonde hair put into pigtails, green eyes, a sky blue belly shirt, and a blue skirt that reaches the floor. Lacie's twin sister is Roxie, who is the opposite of her.

•Lolita is the last child of Mark. She is La Llorana's daughter. She has chalk white skin, long, wavy, black hair, purple eyes, and a beauty mark under her right eye. She wears black and keeps in the shadows. She is a loner who lives out in the wilderness and hunts to survive. Lolita likes raccoons, squirrels, and bow and arrows.

I'm rambling now, and I apologize for any inconvenience caused to you. Here are the bios (By "Singer," it means who does the OC sound like?):

* * *

 _Name: Gwendolyn Evie Demõn_

 _Nickname(s): Gwen, Vivi_

 _Parent: Demon_

 _Birthday: 12.13.93_

 _Eye Color: Green irises surrounded by black._

 _Hair Style and Color: Straight, shoulder-length, black hair with bangs._

 _Killer Style: I'd rather be comfy than cute. A tee shirt, jeans, and a pair of flats. I always wear my infinity bracelet as well._

 _Freaky Flaw: I have...kind of a temper. Even the slightest thing can throw me off guard. Yet, they see me as the "mom" of the group, as I'm so protective._

 _Favorite Activity: Welding is calming and involves heat. It's also super fun._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Angels (see below)_

 _Fear: Angels. Well, not Gabriel. He just annoys me. Angels are just so kind and sweet and you break their nose and they just say "Sorry!" ...That's either super fake or super insane._

 _Favorite School Subject: Mad Science. You can cause destruction without being labelled as "violent."_

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Theology_

 _Favorite Color: Purple_

 _Favorite Food: Spicy pulled pork. Korean barbecue is fantastic as well._

 _BFF's: Although I love all of my half brothers and sisters, I'm closest to Evangeline._

 _Singer: Amy Winehouse_

* * *

 _Name: Gabriel Angelus Halo_

 _Nickname(s): Gabe, Mr. Perfect_

 _Parent: Angel_

 _Birthday: 12-26-94_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Caramel, wavy hair with long bangs._

 _Killer Style: Modest, casual, and something simple, as not to attract attention._

 _Freaky Flaw: My wings get in the way. They're not as big as Evan's, but they do get annoying._

 _Favorite Activity: Preaching and hanging out with loved ones are fun._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Demons (see below)_

 _Fear: Demons. They're just so- God, forgive me- malevolent, evil, horrid, awful, rotten, and just bad creatures. Well, I've grown close to Gwendolyn, but even we get on each other's nerves. To think that the fallen angels gave up their amazing life with God to side with that...thing, Satan._

 _Favorite School Subject: Theology. There's nothing more fun than seeing the different takes on other culture's religions and comparing and contrasting it to my own. Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Greek Mythology, and so much more!_

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Art. Drawing lines and circles couldn't be more bland and lifeless._

 _Favorite Color: Light blue_

 _Favorite Food: Manna. It truly is the food from God._

 _BFF's: I cannot choose. There are many._

 _Singer: Nick 13 (Tiger Army)_

* * *

 _Name: Kira Rainey Pallen_

 _Nickname(s): Kiwi_

 _Parent: Rainbüster_

 _Birthday: 27.12.93_

 _Eye Color: Dark blue, but I can change them whenever._

 _Hair Style and Color: Caramel, straight, shoulder-length_

 _Killer Style: I don't have a style. It depends on what's on sale, what's in my drawer, and what's clean._

 _Freaky Flaw: I can change the color, shade, and hue of different things._

 _Favorite Activity: Reading is calming, but you sit on the edge of your seat. It can take you around the world in a few chapters!_

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Leprechauns. They show up anywhere and everywhere._

 _Fear: Leprechauns. Tiny men with long beards and are focused on greed. No. Just no._

 _Favorite School Subject: Reading! A quiet period to enjoy books and the words on the page._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Umm...I want to say gym, but only because it's too chaotic._

 _Favorite Color: Green._

 _Favorite Food: Ice cream is delicious! It's cold, sweet, and perfect for sunny days._

 _BFF's: Iris and my stepbrothers and stepsisters._

 _Singer: Amanda Seyfried_

* * *

 _Name: Jason Jael Buck_

 _Nickname(s): JJ_

 _Parent: Faun or Satyr_

 _Birthday: 12/29/93_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Brown and neat_

 _Killer Style: Jerseys and shirts without sleeves paired with some jeans._

 _Freaky Flaw: My legs are like a goat's. They are super furry._

 _Favorite Activity: Working out and exercising._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Some extra-curricular activities are labelled as "sports" when they shouldn't be. The Math Club is NOT a sport!_

 _Fear: Ashton's face. No, I'm kidding. Um...I'm not sure. I guess letting a team down would be pretty bad._

 _Favorite School Subject: Gym_

 _Least Favorite School Subject: English._

 _Favorite Color: Blacks, grays, and Browns_

 _Favorite Food: Drumsticks or wings_

 _BFF's: Ashton and my "siblings"_

 _Singer: Yeah, right. I don't sing._

* * *

 _Name: Iris Iraine Pallen_

 _Nickname(s): None_

 _Parent: Rainbüster_

 _Birthday: 1-6-94_

 _Eye Color: Blue_

 _Hair Style and Color: Blue, wavy, and fades to a light indigo_

 _Killer Style: Colorful patterns on dresses, shirts, skirts, shorts, pants, leggings, tights, and shoes. Just to add a splash of color!_

 _Freaky Flaw: My horns can change the color of anything!_

 _Favorite Activity: Acting. It's my dream to be an actress on Broadway!_

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Monotone monsters, *cough* *cough* Kira *cough* *cough* Can't you add some liveliness to your life?! And libraries. I hate libraries._

 _Fear: Bullies! Geez! They're big, fat, evil, creatures that shadow over everything else and hurt them._

 _Favorite School Subject: Drama! Acting, acting, and more acting! Oh, and did I mention acting?_

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Study Claw. You sit in a room and study. Quietly! It's just as bad as libraries!_

 _Favorite Color: Blue! The sky, sea, ocean, and so much more take after this one color!_

 _Favorite Food: Chocolate coins!_

 _BFF's: Kira and my step siblings._

 _Singer: Lita Ford_

* * *

 _Name: Evangeline Pixie Wings_

 _Nickname(s): Evan, Evangel_

 _Parent: Fairy_

 _Birthday: The Fourth Day of the Second Month in 1994_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Shoulder length curls of blonde_

 _Killer Style: Cute Schoolghoul! Plaid skirts and collared shirts are so adorable!_

 _Freaky Flaw: My two-foot-each wings get in the way all the time! Add another 8 1/2 inches and I have my entire height on my back._

 _Favorite Activity: Flying is so fun!_

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Bugs and moths. I'm not a fan of either, although I have met some sweet monsters who are moths and bugs._

 _Fear: Moths...Well, no. Most moths...Yeah. That's it._

 _Favorite School Subject: Gym. You can fly around freely and not get in trouble._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Mad Science. It's awful putting covers and sheets on my wings on lab day._

 _Favorite Color: Blue: Dark Blue, Royal Blue, Sky Blue, Aquamarine, Sea Blue, Ice Blue, Cerulean, and just plain blue!_

 _Favorite Food: Nectar and honey!_

 _BFF's: All my lovely family members_

 _Singer: Chibi (The Birthday Massacre)_

* * *

 _Name: Madison Gorgon_

 _Nickname(s): Maddie, Mad, Mockingbird, Mock_

 _Parent: Medusa_

 _Birthday: The 5th day of March in the year of 1994_

 _Eye Color: Emerald green_

 _Hair Style and Color: My "hair" is green._

 _Killer Style: I am super skinny. I tend to make my own clothes. Long, black skirts, corsets, leather jackets, black, ripped, skinny jeans, and knee-length boots. My style is Victorian Goth._

 _Freaky Flaw: I have so many flaws. Post-traumatic stress disorder, Anxiety, Major Depression Disorder, Panic Disorder, and Insomnia are only a few._

 _Favorite Activity: I love making music and baking._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: My father. I know, it's so childish, but it's true._

 _Fear: My "Daddy Dearest"_

 _Favorite School Subject: Music. Music theory, Music history, Chorus, Band._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Gym. It's hard to change and explain why you have bruises and wounds all over your body._

 _Favorite Color: Black and crimson._

 _Favorite Food: Honey, olives, or pomegranates_

 _BFF's: Deuce, Lamia, Seth, Viperine, and all my "siblings."_

 _Singer: Amy Lee (Evanescence)_

* * *

 _Name: Ianthe Gorgon_

 _Nickname(s): Violet_

 _Parent: Medusa_

 _Birthday: 3/5/94_

 _Eye Color: Emerald Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Green Snakes_

 _Killer Style: Umm...A style? I really don't know. I'll wear what Maddie's wearing, since she knows what she's doing._

 _Freaky Flaw: My three S's. Snakes, seeing, and scars. Snakes on my head, a stone gaze, and scars from deadly experiences._

 _Favorite Activity: I love to go sightseeing. Well, in person. I've done it as a ghost (soul? spirit?) and have had people push me, shove me, and make me fall. It's accidental! No one can see me! But someday, I wish to go sightseeing as a tourist. A monster tourist._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Monsters that take life for granted. Seriously? You are lucky life was given to you. Now, you want to...get rid of it?! Without a good reason?! Some people never get that chance to live. Miscarriages, stillborns, abortions. It was an almost, but a never. Speaking of abortions, I hate those as well. A baby is already being made inside you. And you want to kill it?! That's not an abortion. That's murder._

 _Fear: Watching my half siblings, step siblings, and regular siblings, I've learned to cower in the presence of my father._

 _Favorite School Subject: I've never attended a school as an actual registered student. However, I've been to classes and learned many different things. My favorite class is Mad Science. All these different living organisms! I've been anxious to spend the entire class going as an unnoticed figure, but I want to be a regular ghoul, and this includes getting a good education._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: ELA. It's easy for most people, but English was not my first language. Or my second. Or third. It's the sixth. Teachers are right though; English is one of the hardest languages to learn._

 _Favorite Color: Purple._

 _Favorite Food: I haven't eaten anything. Ever. I do wish to try my sibling's creations though._

 _BFF's: Deuce, Maddie, and all my stepsisters and half siblings. Thank you all for realizing my presence._

 _Singer: Hayley Williams (Paramore)_

* * *

 _Name: Caleen Lily Eucalyptus_

 _Nickname(s): Calla Lily_

 _Parent: Dryad/Tree Spirt_

 _Birthday: 3/5/94_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Caramel, lengthy, and wavy!_

 _Killer Style: Nature Ghoul! It's all flowery and sown of leaves and bark._

 _Freaky Flaw: I can create plants anywhere and everywhere I want. I also turn into a tree for a second when I'm scared._

 _Favorite Activity: Gardening and planting trees! It's super relaxing._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Litter. I'm walking through the park, and I constantly see trash flying around! Does it hurt to throw things out and recycle once in a while?!_

 _Fear: Lumberjacks! They cut down trees and kill my half siblings._

 _Favorite School Subject: Botany, Biology, or Agricultural Science_

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Hiss-tory. I don't care who sailed the ocean blue in 1492. Or was it 82? Whatever. I don't care!_

 _Favorite Color: Green and brown-nature's favorite!_

 _Favorite Food: Fruit Salad! And no, it's not cannibalism._

 _BFF's: I love everyone except people I hate. Yeah, that makes sense. Just saying, the list is shorter this way._

 _Singer: Lacey Sturm (Flyleaf)_

* * *

 _Name: Ashton Faunus Buck_

 _Nickname(s): Ash_

 _Parent: Satyr/ Faun_

 _Birthday: Fri. Apr. 15, 1994_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Blonde and cut short_

 _Killer Style: Sports-inspired outfits_

 _Freaky Flaw: Horns and furry legs. Seriously? Dude, I'm a talking ram._

 _Favorite Activity: Running! It's so relaxing and competitive at the same time._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Fearleaders. They are taking the attention away from the real reason the audience came- a game._

 _Fear: Restricted air flow. I don't wanna know if I turn purple or die trying._

 _Favorite School Subject: Gym-especially when we run laps._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Math. Numbers? What are numbers?_

 _Favorite Color: Red!_

 _Favorite Food: Ambrosia. It's amazing!_

 _BFF's: Jason, my siblings, and my sports team_

 _Singer: Tyson Ritter (All American Rejects)_

* * *

 _Name: Alessia Airabella Stratus_

 _Nickname(s): Lacie, Lace_

 _Parent: Air Elemental_

 _Birthday: 4-20-94_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Long, straight, and blonde_

 _Killer Style: I'm kind of a hippie. Belly shirts and long skirts._

 _Freaky Flaw: I make pink clouds, white, fluffy clouds, silver lining, and a bright light that imitates the Sun._

 _Favorite Activity: Pottery and sewing._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Fearleaders. Go wave your pompoms and shake your hips. No one is here to watch you anyway. They're here to watch the game._

 _Fear: Pain...And fires._

 _Favorite School Subject: Art. I love creating pottery._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Math. There's too many formulas and numbers to handle!_

 _Favorite Color: Sky blue_

 _Favorite Food: Cotton candy. It's light, fluffy, and sweet._

 _BFF's: Roxie and my half and step siblings._

 _Singer: Melanie Martinez_

* * *

 _Name: Roxanne Skylar Stratus_

 _Nickname(s): Roxie, Leather_

 _Parent: Air Elemental_

 _Birthday: April the 20th (1994)_

 _Eye Color: Green_

 _Hair Style and Color: Black_

 _Killer Style: A tee shirt and black, skinny jeans. Plus Converse. Plain and simple._

 _Freaky Flaw: I'm a mirror twin. I'm left handed, while Lacie is right. All my organs are on the opposite side of my body, so my heart beats at a different side than her. Oh, and I can make it rain (not money, idiot), create storm clouds, thunder, and lightning._

 _Favorite Activity: Painting is always fun._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Binders. Ballpoint pens. Spiral notebooks. No, I'm not saying I hate school supplies. I'm saying I hate how left handers must not exist to the people who create school supplies._

 _Fear: Being strangled?...Dad?..._

 _Favorite School Subject: Art. I can embrace my dark thoughts and let them fly without hurting anyone._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: History. Who cares about a bunch of dead guys?_

 _Favorite Color: Red_

 _Favorite Food: Cherries_

 _BFF's: Lacie, Madison, Gwendolyn, and all my other siblings. Different mom or not._

 _Singer: Rachel Taylor (He is We)_

* * *

 _Name: Lolita Layla Llorona_

 _Nickname(s): Lolo, Lola_

 _Parent: La Llorona_

 _Birthday: 17/5/94_

 _Eye Color: Purple_

 _Hair Style and Color: Black, long, and wavy_

 _Killer Style: Dark shirts and jeans._

 _Freaky Flaw: I'm a ghost. I can float. I can go through things. And things can go through me._

 _Favorite Activity: Hunting. It's calming, and I'd die without it._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Raccoons. I spend the entire day hunting, and they come and take my food._

 _Fear: Dying out here all alone._

 _Favorite School Subject: I've never been to school._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Look above._

 _Favorite Color: Black, gray, and purple_

 _Favorite Food: Squirrel, Rabbit, and Deer_

 _BFF's: Caleen._

 _Singer: Björk_

* * *

 _Name: Lamia Gorgon_

 _Nickname(s): Llama, Llambs, Lamb_

 _Parent: Euryale Gorgon_

 _Birthday: Jan. 12, 1993_

 _Eye Color: Blue_

 _Hair Style and Color: Black Mambas_

 _Killer Style: Sexy Biker Chick! It's all about the booty shorts, fishnet leggings, and knee-length motorcycle boots!_

 _Freaky Flaw: My snakes are Black Mambas, which are not only the most poisonous snakes in Africa, but the quickest snakes in the world. Fun, right?_

 _Favorite Activity: Graffiti-ing? Is that a word? Whatever. It is now. And playing my beloved bass guitar. Tattooing people is fun as well._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: Preps and cheerleaders. Kill me now._

 _Fear: The electric chair. My cousins' half brother, Jason, died from being electrocuted. Why would I want to be on an electric chair?_

 _Favorite School Subject: School? The only subject I really go to is detention. However, I love to tattoo and graffiti things, so Art has always been my favorite._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: Not that I really visit any of my classes, but I've always hated Reading. Reading is for people that are too imaginative to sit on the couch and watch some tv!_

 _Favorite Color: Black! It goes with any color!_

 _Favorite Food: Spanakopita!_

 _BFF's: Mimi, Luv, Gergen, and Patrick!_

 _Singer: Maria Brink (In This Moment)_

* * *

 _Name: Seth Gorgon_

 _Nickname(s): Trouble_

 _Parent: Euryale Gorgon and Luke West_

 _Birthday: December 26, 1993_

 _Eye Color: Somewhere between a stormy gray and a silver_

 _Hair Style and Color: My Inland Taipans are brown._

 _Killer Style: Graphic tees and ripped jeans, plus some sneakers. You can't get any comfier than that._

 _Freaky Flaw: Besides snakes on my head instead of hair...I guess I'd say I'm a little stubborn. I can stay on one subject that is as pointless as eating dirt and not change my mind._

 _Favorite Activity: I'm a drummer, so I enjoy playing on my drum set. I also like to sing and hang out with family and friends._

 _Biggest Pet Peeve: My sister, Lamia, can be really annoying, crude, and sexual._

 _Fear: I'm a heavy sleeper, and Lamia is known to do crazy things to people in our sleep. From piercing ears (Deuce) to giving tattoos (Luv), the possibilities are endless. I'm worried one day I will wake up with a pierced eyebrow (which I won't mind too much) or won't have an arm or something (which I'll OBVIOUSLY mind). Even the fact that I don't know what will happen frightens me._

 _Favorite School Subject: I like two and only two subjects. Physical Deaducation and Music. I plan to be in the army if I don't get in a band, so Gym helps. And I am a musician, so I enjoy Music._

 _Least Favorite School Subject: I hate math. If you put me in a room with a math test and tell me I can't leave until I get all the answers right, then I better get comfy._

 _Favorite Color: Yellow and green._

 _Favorite Food: I love baklava. It's pretty much layered filo dough with chopped nuts, lots of honey, and you can have a heart attack if you eat too much. I also like Galaktoboureko. If you didn't know, I like my sugar, phyllo dough, and honey._

 _BFF's: Amelia Jane Potamicles, Deuce Gorgon, Madison Gorgon, Lamia Gorgon, and Viperine Gorgon._

 _Singer: Jonny Hawkins (Nothing More)_

* * *

If you would like any more bios, please PM me the name of the OC you would like it for.

Oh, and Deuce's voice is that of Chris Motionless (Motionless in White) and Cleo's is that of Ashley Costello (New Year's Day) because I cannot stand the voices that were given to them in Boo York Boo York. They just don't fit. Enjoy the story!


	2. Prologue

Prologue: And Reveal What Was Hidden in Plain View

* * *

 **The true story begins here, but this is just the prologue. I tend to put asterisks in the middle of curses. This may be rated T, but just in case. Alright, enjoy the story!**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

It was nearing the end of the semester, the time when the students were all busy with excitement thanks to the upcoming break. The end of the semester also meant that Headless Headmistress Bloodgood would clean up her office and clear it of the multitude of papers that would pile up throughout the months. Unlike the other times she'd clean though, she found something peculiar. Something that would change the life of the students forever.

It was a Monday afternoon, and Headless Headmistress Bloodgood, Mr. Rotter, Mr. Hack, Mr. Where, and Mrs. Kindergrubber were gathered around in the headmistress's office after agreeing to help clean the office, some doing a better job than others.

"I wanted to start by thanking you for your dedication," the headmistress said. "You don't have to help, but it is greatly appreciated." She fidgeted with a metal key in her hand, fingering the top of it. She plugged it into a door in her office and twisted it, unlocking the dark room. Flipping the light switch, the teachers gazed inside to see a multitude of cardboard boxes scattered throughout the room, some on shelves and some on the floor. "Let's begin, shall we?"

* * *

The next hour was spent cleaning the room that was surprisingly larger than the teachers had mistaken it for. Each teacher was assigned a different task. As Mr. Hack vacuumed the carpet, Mrs. Kindergrubber dusted. Mr. Rotter moved the boxes into the main part of the office, where Mr. Where unboxed the items and Headless Headmistress Bloodgood divided them into piles.

"This one," Mr. Rotter gasped, taking in staggered breaths, "is heavy." He dropped the box onto the carpet in front of Mr. Where, who was kneeling down. "What do you have in there? Bricks?" Mr. Where rolled his hidden eyes before slicing the tape with the scissors and pulling the flaps apart. He emptied out the box, and Headless Headmistress Bloodgood looked at the objects with surprise.

"Tapes?" She picked up two of the tapes, one in each hand. Mr. Rotter looked up at her, his hands on his knees.

"They can't be that important if you just forgot they existed and left them in the grave to rot," he groaned.

"Hold on, everyone," Headless Headmistress Bloodgood said. The teachers all stopped cleaning and looked at her. "Let's take a break for a minute."

"A well-needed one," Mr. Rotter grumbled. Mr. Where disappeared into the closet and returned with an old movie player. He placed it on Bloodgood's desk before taking a tape and inserting it into the player. The tape began playing as he turned off the lights and joined the other teachers, who were sitting on the floor and leaning back on the front of the desk.

The tape resumed in the middle of the recording. The scene started at Monster High in the auditorium. Bloodgood, Mr. Hack, and Mr. Rotter sat in the front row, looking up towards the stage. On the stage, there were three adults. The first was a female in her mid-to-late twenties. She had blonde beach waves that reached her shoulders, tan skin, and blue eyes. The second was a male who was also in his late twenties. He had straight, brown hair that was neat and clean with sharp brown eyes and fair skin. Both he and the girl were humans. The last was a monster girl who looked to be in her early thirties. Her hair was snow white and curly with matching white eyes with blue pupils shaped as snowflakes. Her skin was a soft periwinkle, and a crown of snowflakes sat atop her head. Headless Headmistress Bloodgood smiled at them politely in the video. "Welcome to Monster High!" she said kindly. "What city are you from?"

"We're from Salem," the blonde girl answered.

"And who are the contestants?"

"There are two boys and two girls. They're family." Headmistress Bloodgood nodded.

"Bring them on stage please," she said, writing in a notebook. The blonde girl looked out to the wing of the stage, and four young teens entered the stage. The first was a girl with wavy, white hair, pale skin, and crystal blue eyes. For such a young age, her arms were inked in plenty of tattoos, and a line of piercings trailed up the shells of her ears. In her hand was a black bass guitar. The second was a boy with brown hair and stormy gray eyes. His skin was a light olive, and unlike the girl, he had no visible tattoos. He held a pair of drumsticks in his hands. The third was a boy with green hair, emerald eyes, and the same light olive as the other boy. He had a black electric guitar and microphone with him. The last was a girl that looked similar to the boy with green hair. She too had green hair and eyes and olive skin. She was lithe, but still curvy. She had only a microphone with her. "I suppose you don't use a track," Bloodgood joked.

"No, not usually," the girl with green hair said with a tight smile.

"What is the song called?"

"'Hero.'"

"Alright, take it away!" The brown-haired boy tapped his drumsticks together before the group began playing together.

Outside the tape, Headless Headmistess Bloodgood looked towards Mr. Hack and Mr. Rotter. "Do you remember this?" she questioned, her eyebrows knitted.

"Oye," Mr. Hack agreed, "That girl had a bloody good voice. Sent chills. Boy too."

"Yes, both were stellar," Mr. Rotter added. "They won, did they not?"

Headless Headmistress Bloodgood nodded. "Yes, I believe they did," she said, continuing to stare at the faces in the screen. "They look so familiar," she said, trailing off at the end.

"Only the boy," Mr. Rotter said. Mr. Hack nodded in agreeance. "The name might come eventually. You never know." Mr. Where stood up and took out the tape, inserting a new one in directly after. The scene started in Monster High's gym. A disco hung from the ceiling, and streamers and balloons decorated the room. Mrs. Kindergrubber gasped and covered her face with her hands.

"Aw!" She exclaimed, "This was our prom!"

"Good times," Mr. Rotter said wistfully.

The Home Ick teacher looked to Mr. Hack. "Remember when you asked me to prom? Your face was beat red, and your hands were all sweaty." Mr. Hack grinned.

"And I offered you a black rose."

"Which may be wilted, but I still have," she responded, smiling in return.

"The end-of-the-scaremester project is coming up," Bloodgood said. She motioned for Mr. Where to stop the video, to which he complied. "We can split up the students into groups and have them research one of these tapes."

"We can use the students in my class," Mr. Rotter said.

"Alright, Mr. Rotter. Thank you for volunteering," Headless Headmistress Bloodgood grinned. "Now, we should get back to work. We don't have all afternoon."

* * *

The next day, the bell rang, and students began piling into Mr. Rotter's classroom.

"Take your seats, everyone. Heath! Quit throwing pencils! You'd better be prepared today! I'm not letting you borrow any more!"

"What do you think we'll do for our final?" Frankie asked Draculaura and Clawdeen as they took their seats.

"Beats me," Clawdeen said, picking at her long claws. "Hopefully, it's not something stupid like it was last time." The bell rang once more, and Mr. Rotter shut his classroom door.

"Good morning, class," he began. "As you all know, the end of the scaremester is coming up. We will be doing a large project." This earned a loud groan from the class, who were immediately silenced when Mr. Rotter dropped a skull on the desk. "Your names are already in this skull. I will draw your names for a certain team. There are two teams, creatively named "Team One" and "Team Two."

After drawing all the names, it ended with Frankie, Clawdeen, Draculaura, Cleo, Lagoona, Abbey, Ghoulia, Clawd, Operetta, and Jackson on Team One. Robecca, Deuce, Gil, Toralei, Heath, Spectra, Invisi Billy, Scarah, Meowlody, Purrsephone, Manny, and Slo Moe were on Team Two.

"Now, before this gets too easy," Mr. Rotter began, "There a few rules. You must have proof of where you got the information. You must include at least one interview. And you must present your project."

"Well now," Operetta exclaimed, "Those aren't that hard to follow!"

"Yeah!" Heath agreed. "The Heathster can totally handle this!"

"Anyways," Mr. Rotter rolled his eyes. "There are two tapes to choose from." He took out the tapes and presented them to his students. "Team One. Which tape would you like?" He walked towards Jackson, holding both tapes out for him.

"We can't even see them first?" The geeky human asked.

"Let fate decide," Mr. Rotter answered. Jackson reached for the tape in Mr. Rotter's left hand. Mr. Rotter tossed Gil the other tape. "Since Team One chose first, Team Two's tape can be played first." Gil stood up and went over to the old movie player sitting on Mr. Rotter's desk. He pushed the tape in, and it immediately started playing. Monster High's gym came into view. A disco ball spun above the students' heads.

"Now," the DJ in the tape exclaimed, "To the class of 1814, it's time to party!" Loud music began playing. Jackson covered his ears as all the students in the video danced together. Some drank punch, while others talked and others danced. Everyone appeared to be having fun. The DJ raised a cup. "Cheers to the class of 1814!" Everyone cheered and laughed, and the video shut off.

"Team Two," Mr. Rotter announced, "Your project is to learn about the teachers as students. What were they like? What clubs were they in? Who were they friends with? All this and more.

"This is gonna be off the fang!" Heath cheered. His hair lit into fire, lighting the corner of Abbey's paper up.

"Heath!" she said, swatting at the page and putting out the fire. "Chill out!"

"Team One. Your tape," Mr. Rotter said, ignoring the fire elemental.

Jackson got up and put the tape into the player. The video takes place in the backstage of the auditorium. There were three monsters. The first was a boy with brown hair and gray eyes. The second was also a boy, but he had green hair and eyes. The last was a girl with bleached blonde hair with pink streaks and pink eyes. All looked roughly thirteen years old. Two more girls entered. The first had white hair, crystal blue eyes, and an edgy, punk outfit. She was the oldest of the group, looking about fourteen. The last was a girl with green hair and eyes and a long, black dress. She looked roughly thirteen. She waved her arm out and smiled.

"I'm so glad you all could attend," she said in a posh accent. Everyone laughed in the video. However, in the classroom, Deuce paled, which only Gil noticed. A photographer came over next to the group.

"Smile for the website homepage!" They grouped together and smiled until the photographer snapped a picture and walked away.

"Madison, what took you so long?" The boy with the brown hair asked.

"Between makeup problems and lady problems, life was just favoring the other groups," the green-haired girl, Madison, responded.

"If you had makeup problems, why didn't you come to me?" The girl with the bleached and pink hair asked.

"And if you had lady problems, why didn't you come to me?" The boy with brown-hair teased.

"Okay, A. You were busy," Madison said, pointing to the girl with pink in her hair, "And B. Absolutely not, Seth," she said, pointing to the brown-haired boy, Seth, who shrugged and smirked.

"Whatever," he said, "Either way, you can still see some purple on that cheekbone though."

"Wait, what?" Madison squeaked. "Oh sh*t! We just got pictures too!" She reached into her bra and pulled out a compact, looking into the mirror. Madison glared at him before putting it away and reaching back into her bra. When she pulled her hand out, she only had one finger up: the middle one. She used her other hand to pinch the finger at the top knuckle of her middle finger and pull it up, as if she was removing a cap. She then traced her middle finger along her lips like lipstick, before rubbing her lips together and putting the "cap" back on the "lipstick" tube. She then tucked her finger back into her bra and pulled her hand out again.

"That's _real_ classy," the boy with green hair said with a smile. Madison stuck out her forked tongue at him and returned the smile. They grabbed their instruments and microphones and waited on the wing of the stage. The camera switched to the front of the stage. Bloodgood, Mr. Hack, and Mr. Rotter sat in the front row, looking up towards the stage. On the stage, there were three adults. The first was a female in her mid-to-late twenties. She had blonde beach waves that reach her shoulders, tan skin, and blue eyes. The second was a male who was also in his late twenties. He had straight, brown hair that was neat and clean with sharp brown eyes and fair skin. Both he and the girl were humans. The last was a monster girl who looked to be in her early thirties. Her hair was snow white and curly with matching white eyes with blue pupils shaped as snowflakes. Her skin was a soft periwinkle, and a crown of snowflakes sat atop her head. Headless Headmistress Bloodgood smiled at them politely.

"Welcome to Monster High!" she said kindly. "What city are you from?"

"We're from Salem," the blonde girl answered.

"And who are the contestants?"

"There are two boys and two girls. They're family." Headmistress Bloodgood nodded.

"Bring them on stage please," she said as she wrote in a notebook. The blonde girl looked out to the wing of the stage, and four young teens entered the stage. The one with pink in her hair stayed back.

"I suppose you don't use a track," Bloodgood joked.

"No, not usually," Madison said with a tight smile.

"What is the song called?"

"'Hero.'"

"Alright, take it away!" Seth tapped his drumsticks together before the group began playing together. The boy with the green hair leaned into the microphone stand, still playing his guitar.

"I'm just a step away. I'm just a breath away. Losin' my faith today." His voice was smooth and deep, and it sent chills down everyone's spines. Madison returned the treatment as well.

"Fallin' off the edge today." Her voice was also strong and smooth like butter, but it was clear as rain. Yet, it was stunning as well.

"Whoa," Heath said. "That's...wow."

"They're both fantastic," Clawd agreed.

"See, why can't we have voices like those in the school choir?" Cleo said, staring at the faces on the screen. "Instead, we have voices like Toralei's."

"Meow!" Toralei interrupted. "I'm not _in_ chorus," she hissed at the mummy. "I have more dignity than that. The only monsters who are in the choir are the monsters who let their dreams get so big that they block reality's view. They're the ones who say they're going to be sooooo famous, but do they ever go anywhere? No."

"That's not entirely true, Toralei," Lagoona responded. "A lot of them do it for fun, and at least they have dreams."

"Whatever," the werecat said, rolling her eyes. "All I'm saying is-"

"Stop with your talking!" Abbey snapped. "How can we do assignment if we can't hear video?" Toralei slumped in her seat but silenced.

Madison and the green-haired boy on the screen sang together one last time. "A hero's gonna save me just in time!" They were rewarded with a standing ovation as the audience cheered loudly. Mr. Rotter paused the tape.

"Team One, you are to learn about this ghoul," he said, pointing to Madison on the screen. "It is believed that she was supposed to come to Monster High, but she didn't. You are researching her. Any questions?" Hands automatically shot up in the air. "Ghoulia Yelps?"

"Uhhh," she groaned. "When is this project due?"

"Two weeks. Heath?"

"Is there extra credit?" Mr. Rotter rolled his eyes.

"For someone who never does the assignments given, why would you ask for extra credit?" The students laughed as Heath's head sunk. "Scarah?"

"Is this graded as a group or individually?"

"We will see. Last question. Frankie?"

"How do we research this ghoul if we don't even know her name?" Frankie raised her eyebrows in curiosity. She wasn't trying to be mean, but it was her final and wanted a good grade. Mr. Rotter smiled.

"Ah, Frankie. I believe Headmistress Bloodgood was talking about this tape when she said that there were a bunch of people who know this ghoul. Some know her personally. Others not so much. There are many people to ask."

"What is her name?"

"I believe it is Madison. Madison Jayne," he said. Frankie nodded.

"I've never even heard of a Madison Jayne," Clawdeen said.

"Me neither," Abbey agreed.

Lagoona nodded and said, "Name's not coming to me either."

"I don't know _any_ Madisons," Jackson said. The bell rang loudly, startling the class.

"Talk to Bloodgood about it," Mr. Rotter said over the sound of rustling and the students leaving the classroom. As everyone left the classroom, Draculaura looked over at her group, who was heading to Headmistress Bloodgood's office.

"I haven't heard of that name before," she squeaked. "Is it someone I should know?"

"Didn't the people in the tape look familiar to you?" Clawdeen inquired.

"They certainly do look recognizable," Ghoulia groaned, nodding her head.

"Agree with zombie," Abbey replied. "Do look familiar."

"But who?" Frankie asked to herself. Operetta stared at the wall ahead blankly. Clawdeen waved her hand in front of Operetta's face.

"Earth to Operetta. Are you in there?" Operetta snapped out of her trance to see everyone staring at her.

"What?" Operetta asked, her southern accent more apparent than usual. "Oh, sorry, ghouls."

"What were ya thinkin 'bout, mate?" Lagoona coaxed gently.

"Madison Jayne," Operetta said, thinking to herself. "I've heard that name before. It sounds so familiar..."

"You'll remember it later," Clawd said.

"Yeah, we should talk to Bloodgood," Jackson said. "I don't think any of us actually remember Madison Jayne...if we even knew her."

"We should hurry then," Frankie said. From the end of the hallway, Gil and Deuce were walking together. Gil noticed Deuce staring at them.

"Deuce?" The freshwater monster asked. "Are you alright?"

"Sure," Deuce answered simply.

"You looked sick when Mr. Rotter started playing the other group's tape. Once that 'Madison Jayne' ghoul started speaking, really."

"Dude, I'm fine."

"Alright," Gil said. He knew something wasn't right, but he didn't push him into saying anything.

* * *

Frankie, Clawdeen, Draculaura, Clawd, Abbey, Jackson, Operetta, Ghoulia, Cleo, and Lagoona stood in Headless Headmistress Bloodgood's office as the headmistress looked up at them from her desk.

"What can I do for you ghouls and mansters?" Bloodgood asked kindly, smiling at the students.

"Headmistress Bloodgood," Frankie started, "Mr. Rotter gave us an assignment where we have to learn a ghoul named Madison Jayne. None of us know her though." Headless Headmistress Bloodgood sighed.

"Most of you do know her. Frankie, Jackson, and Abbey. You probably don't, but everyone else does."

"I don't think I've heard her name before," Clawdeen said.

"Maybe you haven't heard that name," Bloodgood said, "but you probably have heard her other name.

"She had two names?" Draculaura asked.

"Two last names," the headmistress cleared up. "If I gave you her other last name, you would quickly run to someone else for questions."

"Can you give us last name?" Abbey inquired.

"I shouldn't," the headless woman answered.

"Then, how do we learn this?" Jackson asked.

"I promise," the woman said, "there is someone you all know very well- two monsters actually- that can help. They are blood relatives." Draculaura fainted, and Clawd caught her. Clawdeen fanned her, and Draculaura opened her eyes again. "This story was given to me by a parent here. She kindly told me what was happening and not to worry if anything was wrong."

"She?" Cleo asked, raising a perfectly-arched eyebrow.

"It was a mother."

"Whose?"

"That information won't be given from me. However, I'm surprised she did give me the story. She didn't have to, and it probably brings back awful memories for her."

"Can you tell us the story?" Frankie questioned. Headless Headmistress Bloodgood shook her head.

"It's pretty gruesome. Your project is really dark."

"So is Heath," Abbey said. "He gruesome too. But we see him every day." Headless Headmistress Bloodgood sighed.

"I will tell you this. There are two monsters you know. They will give you most of your information. It's lunchtime, so you better move along. I wouldn't want you to be late." The students nodded and left the room, with more questions than before and none answered.

* * *

In the lunchroom, the girls were talking over their food about the project.

"Madison Jayne," Clawdeen complained. "I can't believe Headmistress Bloodgood didn't even tell us the names of who truly knows her." She stabbed her steak with a plastic fork as Robecca placed her tray of food on the table and sat next to Lagoona.

"Hello, ghouls!" the robot chirped.

"Robecca!" Frankie exclaimed. "Do you know anyone named Madison Jayne?" Robecca looked around, deep in thought.

"Mmm...nope. I don't quite remember a Madison Jayne."

"This is hopeless!" Draculaur cried. "We'll never know!"

* * *

"I can't believe we have to do a project on some chick no one knows," Clawd complained, picking at his food. The guys sat across the lunchroom at their table, discussing the same matter as the girls.

"You guys only have to interview teachers and ask to see their old yearbooks," Jackson said.

"Old yearbooks, huh? Thanks for the idea," Invisi Billy joked.

"This is so rad!" Heath cheered, his hair setting on fire.

"It's just a project," Manny said. "Don't get so happy."

"It's twenty percent of our grade this semester," Clawd said. "If anything, get worked up."

"Like Deuce, over here," Heath said, elbowing Deuce's ribs.

"He looks like he's in the mood to break a neck," Gil said. "He'll gladly choose yours, Heath." Heath shrunk back immediately.

"What's wrong?" Jackson asked.

"Nothing," Deuce answered, "but can we please change the subject?"

"Why change the subject if nothing's wrong?" Heath asked, completely ignorant.

"Heath," Clawd said slowly and cautiously.

"Fine," Heath replied. "Here's a subject change. Deuce, I've always wanted to know about your father." Jackson's eyes widened, not believing his cousin was actually stupid enough to go through with this.

"Oh god," Invisi Billy said, vocalizing how Jackson felt.

"Heath," Clawd snapped.

"Tell us, bro!" There wasn't a hint of rudeness in Heath's tone, just excitement and curiosity.

"If I wanted to, I would have by now," Deuce said through gritted teeth.

"Don't like your old man?" Manny said, taking a bite of his lunch.

"'Don't like' is a huge understatement," Deuce mumbled.

"What's wrong with him?" Jackson asked cautiously.

"Gods, Heath!" Deuce groaned, slamming his hands on the table. "You couldn't have picked a different subject?!"

"You should started the subject then if you want to complain about it," Heath said.

"Heath," Gil snapped. "Just stop."

"All we want to know is who would have a kid with Medusa?" The table became silent in seconds. Deuce immediately stood up and stormed away, leaving the lunchroom. All the guys immediately glared at the fire elemental.

"Oh, well, thanks a lot, _Heath_!" Invisi Billy groaned.

"I asked him a simple question!" Heath exclaimed. "He shouldn't have gotten mad over it."

"You clearly saw he was upset," Gil said. "Why would you ask that?!"

"Calm down. He'll get over it soon enough."

"You're just glad he didn't stone you first," Clawd mumbled. The bell rang, ending lunch. All the students got up to throw away their trash and hurry to their next class.

* * *

"Do you think a teacher knows who Madison is?" Draculaura inquired.

Ghoulia groaned. "It doesn't hurt to ask."

"Clawd," Cleo said, seeing the werewolf. "Do you know where Deuce is?"

"No. He was upset during lunch but stormed off when Heath said something stupid," Clawd replied. Everyone walked towards Frankie's locker and crowded around it as Frankie put in the locker combination and unlocked the locker door. Inside her locker was a slip of paper.

"Is it from a crush?" Draculaura asked, looking at the paper in her friend's mint hands.

"I dunno," Frankie answered.

"What does it say?" Clawdeen said, peering over her shoulder.

"'Meet me at the fountain in the front of the school when the bell rings, ending school,'" Frankie read aloud.

"Ooh!" Clawdeen sang teasingly.

"Look on the back," Cleo pointed. "There's writing."

"'Bring everyone in team one.'"

"Aw," Draculaura sighed, obviously let down. "So it isn't from a crush."

"We go too?" Abbey asked.

"Yeah, mate," Lagoona answered.

"It must have something to do with the project. Someone's going to help! Come on, let's get to the next class," Frankie said, shutting her locker door.

* * *

All of Team One stood outside near the fountain after the last bell rang. Frankie looked around, the slip of paper in her hands. Her bolts had been sparking all day, and now, she would finally see what is was for. Yet, some of the group was getting impatient.

"Where are they?" Clawdeen asked, gazing around the courtyard. Immediately, a ghoul dashed out of the school and up towards the group.

"Sorry, I'm late," she said. "Teacher wouldn't let us leave."

"Viperine?" Cleo said.

"You're the secret one?" Draculaura said, enthusiasm present in her voice.

Viperine giggled. "I guess you could call it that," she said.

"What do you know about Madison Jayne?" Frankie asked the snake-haired ghoul.

"No," Clawdeen interrupted. "First, how are you related to her? Are you friends or what?"

"Unauthorized information," Viperine said. "I can't give away my other unknown doppelgänger's identity." Viperine handed Frankie a thumb drive.

"What's this?"

"Well, obviously it's a thumb drive," Viperine laughed. "On it are videos and pictures of Madison."

"Thanks!" Clawd smiled. "This helps so much!"

"You're welcome," Viperine said, smiling in return. "I need to leave. Mis primos are coming over soon." She headed away from the group and left them near the water fountain.

"Deuce!" Frankie exclaimed.

"What?" Clawdeen asked, confused.

"Deuce and Viperine are the two monsters Bloodgood was talking about!"

"How do you know is Deuce?" Abbey questioned.

"Think about it," Frankie said. "Bloodgood said they were relatives. Viperine said she couldn't tell how she was related to Madison because she would be giving away the other monster's identity. If she said she was a family member, Deuce would've been included."

"Frankie's right," Dracualaura nodded. "Whether Madison is a sister or cousin or whatever, it brings Deuce into the mix."

"That also explains why he was upset in the cafeteria. He knew about Madison but didn't want to tell anyone," Clawd said.

"Why didn't he want to tell us?" Lagoona asked.

Cleo shrugged. "Maybe he doesn't like her?"

"Or something must've happened to her and he doesn't want to think about her, in fear of bringing it up," Frankie replied. Clawdeen grabbed Frankie by the waist and pulled her up into the air before placing her feet on the ground again.

"Atta ghoul!"

Two monsters made their way towards the school. The one on the left was a tall male with brown snakes, a blue tee, and ripped blue jeans. He wore dog tags around his neck. The one on the right was a short female with long, wavy, white snakes, a black and white shirt with sleeves that end at the elbow, booty shorts, fishnet leggings, and knee length combat boots. She was covered in tattoos, especially on her arms. They included an angel and a demon on either side of her neck, a drawing of an angel beside her shoulder, and names and small drawings all over her arms. The ghoul moved towards the group by walking on her hands.

"Aren't they the two monsters from the video?" Draculaura asked slowly.

"Yeah!" Frankie exclaimed. The boy from the video- Seth- grabbed the ghoul's leg, causing her to fall.

"BASTARD!" She screamed, standing up and chasing Seth around the front of the school. She ran into Abbey, and they both toppled to the ground.

"Oh my gods! I'm so sorry!" She said, standing up and helping Abbey to her feet. "Seth! It's your f**king fault, ya f**king fat a*s!" Frankie paled from the cursing, but Seth just laughed.

"Not my fault you ran into her. I just grabbed your leg. You chased me," he said.

"We've only been in America half an hour, and I've already almost gotten arrested _and_ knocked some ghoul down."

"Come on, we need to leave."

"Fine," she said. "She's obviously not here." The duo followed in Viperine's direction, shoving each other every so often.

"...Well darn," Frankie said.

"Do you want me to call Deuce?" Cleo asked, taking out her gold phone.

"No," Clawd answered. "He was already ticked off. I don't want him to hate me too."

"Call Viperine then," the mummy replied. Frankie complied, putting it on speaker.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Viperine," Frankie said. "It's me and the gang."

"Hi, everyone!" The gorgon cheered.

"Are the two people you and Deuce?" Frankie asked.

"I was gone for, what? Three minutes? You already looked at the drive?"

"No! Is it you two though?"

"Yes, it is."

"Can you tell us about Madison?" Cleo asked.

"Better idea," Viperine said. I've been staying with my aunt and him. My cousins are also coming over. Everyone knows anything and everything about Madison. Come over to Deuce's house. 'Kay?"

"Alright, we'll be there soon," Frankie said, ending the call.

"Should we...you know...search for evidence around the school?" Jackson said, not wanting to know firsthand if Deuce was still upset.

"Like where?" Cleo asked. Immediately, an idea popped into everyone's head.

"His locker!"

"Quick!" Frankie screeched. "Before he finds out!" Everyone ran to the inside of the school, scurrying down the hallway until they saw Deuce's locker.

"What's his combination?" Clawd asked.

"No idea," his sister replied. As if on cue, Spectra floated by, catching Ghoulia's eye.

Ghoulia moaned, "Spectra! Do you mind looking in this locker for us?"

"I did it once," the ghost said. "I can do it again." She put her face into the metal door. "Now what do you need?"

"Find evidence," Cleo said.

"Like a bouquet of flowers?" Spectra asked.

"But mate, weren't those for-" Lagoona started.

"There's eleven."

"...What?" Frankie asked.

"There's eleven flowers," Spectra said.

"Why doesn't he just have twelve- a dozen? That's how many flowers usually come in a bouquet," Draculaura asked the group.

"Anything else?" Spectra asked.

"Yeah, just keep looking," Clawdeen said.

"A few pictures of his family," Spectra answered.

"Describe them," Cleo said.

"Okay...short ghoul with long, white snakes for hair. Tall boy with brown snakes for hair. Viperine is also in the picture. A ghoul with green snakes and Deuce."

"It's gotta be Deuce then, Clawd said. "Everyone in that picture was in the video."

"We need to talk to him and Viperine," Frankie said. "Let's go, guys and ghouls!"

* * *

 **So how was it? Did you notice the foreshadowing?**

 **I don't know if any MIW fans out there can tell, but all of my chapter titles are either song titles or song lyrics. This song is "Dark Passenger" by Motionless in White.**

 **The song used in this was "Hero" by Skillet.**

 **Don't forget to review, follow, and favorite.**


	3. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: When Every Loss, Every Beauty, Just Reminds You of the Past, How Can You Just Let Go?

* * *

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

The same day, the group followed the wishes of Viperine and went to the Gorgons' house. It was three stories tall with large marble pillars and a long driveway. The architecture looked as if it came directly out of the Greek travel brochure. Frankie rang the doorbell, and Viperine answered soon after with a smile.

"So glad you could make it! Everyone's upstairs," Viperine said, opening the white door wider so that the group could enter. As everyone headed upstairs, Viperine grabbed Frankie's wrist. "Don't be surprised if he doesn't say anything," she whispered. "Don't be surprised if he gets upset or if he leaves. It's a sore subject, and I don't think he wants all his friends knowing about it." Frankie nodded.

At the same time, Draculaura, Cleo, Clawdeen, Lagoona, Abbey, Ghoulia, Operetta, Jackson, and Clawd walked into a doorway to see Deuce, Seth, and the white-haired girl sitting on a couch, each staring at their phone.

"I swear," the girl said, "they are not supposed to be together." Her white snakes slithered into her full hips. "Even the ship name is ugly."

"I don't know how I feel about it yet," Seth responded, scrolling through Instagram. "I haven't finished the season, so you better not spoil it, Lamia."

"Whatever," Lamia groaned, rolling her crystal eyes. "I'm just saying that Archie shouldn't be with Val."

"Still better than with Mrs. Grundy," Deuce shot back in return. "Granted, I prefer him with Veronica, but still."

"See, Seth?" Lamia said. "Spoken by a true intellectual."

"Well, both of your opinions are invalid."

"You haven't even finished the season yet!" Deuce cried out. "Of course, you'd think that!"

"Maybe."

"Well, my opinions tend to be facts," Lamia said. She tossed her phone onto the cushion and ran her fingers through her scalp. "And I think it's Veronica and Archie. Never Val and Archie."

"But Betty and Jughead's where it's at," Deuce replied.

"Ughh," Seth groaned. "I'm not there yet!"

"Oh...poor baby," Lamia said sarcastically. Suddenly, Clawdeen cleared her throat. The three looked over at the group in the doorway.

"I hate to interrupt your bonding time...if that's even what this is," Clawdeen started. Seth smirked and looked back at his phone. "But we were told to come here."

"When'd you get here?" Lamia asked.

"About a minute or two ago," Clawd answered. "We didn't see much."

"Hm," Lamia replied, "That's nice. Anyways, Seth, you have no right to even give your opinion on it yet. You didn't finish the season."

"At least I plan on it, unlike you, who finishes half a season of The Vampire Diaries before swearing it off forever."

"I didn't like it! It was tasteless and boring."

"Why don't you like it? It fits your personality perfectly!" Lamia reached over and grabbed a fistful of her brother's snakes, yanking on them as he let out a shriek. His snakes snapped and bit Lamia's wrist repeatedly until the skin became soaked with blood. Even after Draculaura passed out, Lamia kept a vice grip on the snakes. Right after, Frankie entered the room to see Seth slap Lamia's arm and Lamia pull harder.

"I, uh...Who are you?" Frankie asked, not knowing what else to do or say.

"Your new favorite eye candy," Seth said jokingly. "Ow! Ow! Ow!" he cried quickly. "Don't pull!"

"And his partner in crime," Lamia answered to Frankie, grabbing Seth's ear in the process.

"And she's trying to murder me, so stop killing the moment!" Seth said. Lamia slapped her hand over his mouth and was rewarded with a bite. She let out a sharp yelp before removing her hand, looking at the damage he'd caused.

"Do you see this?" Lamia screeched, shoving her hand in Seth's face. "That's f**king blood. And on my wrist? Even more." Seth shrugged.

"Meh. I've seen worse." Lamia slapped him, getting blood on his cheek, which he quickly wiped off.

"Um...guys," Frankie nudged.

"How is Mom even letting you out of the house when you act like this?"

"How are _you_ not on a dog leash?"

"Hello..?"

"Seth! Hold still so I can kill you!"

" _That_ makes me wanna hold still!"

"Guys!" Viperine interrupted, "We have company!"

"Why can't you be more like-"

"Listen!" Frankie yelled, silencing all of them. "Who are you really?" Deuce pointed to Seth.

"That's Seth," he said, as Seth held up his index and middle finger, "and this is Lamia. They're my cousins."

"Why?" Lamia asked, crossing her tattooed arms.

"We're doing a project," Lagoona replied. "We were told you can tell us about Madison." The Gorgons looked around at each other, unsure of what to say or even if they should say anything at all. After an awkward silence, Lamia let out a forced laugh.

"Now, that's...something."

"Can you help us?" Draculaura asked, having just awoke. Lamia and Seth looked at each other wordlessly before looking at Deuce. He closed his eyes and shook his head in a "do whatever" manner before looking the other way.

"That's...uh...quite an interesting subject," Seth started slowly. "May I ask how it started?"

"There were tapes," Ghoulia groaned. "You performed in the one our teacher assigned."

"Music Festival," Seth whispered to himself. "Should we start there then?" He asked his sister and cousin. Deuce stood up.

"Do whatever. I don't want to be in this conversation. Not now anyway," he said as he left the room. Everyone's eyes followed him out before Lamia shook her head.

"Don't bother. He'll come around eventually." She too stood up. "We never got your names, which are kinda mandatory if we're helping you." She looked down the line of monsters before stopping on Cleo. "You." She squinted. "You look really familiar. Do I know you from anywhere?"

"I'm Deuce's ghoulfriend," Cleo answered. Lamia shook her head.

"Yes, but no. I feel like I've seen your face before... somewhere else..."

"Lamia!" Seth interrupted Lamia's train of thought. "Stop being creepy!"

"No! Doesn't she look like someone we know?"

"No."

"Think about it."

"A bit, but I'm not sure. I don't know."

"And you!" Lamia said, pointing to Operetta. Operetta raised her eyebrows. "You look familiar too!"

"I reckon you do too," Operetta said with a smirk. "Did y'all happen to compete in Music Festival?"

"Hell yeah I did!" Lamia grinned.

"Did you win?" Operetta asked, smirking in return as if she already knew the answer.

"Sure did."

"I know y'all! I just needed a wake-up, but I remember!" Operetta exclaimed with a smile.

"You look recognizable as well," Seth said to Clawd.

"You two were pissing and crossed streams," Lamia joked.

"What?! No!" Seth cried. "That doesn't happen unless it's deliberate!"

"The zombie looks familiar too," Lamia continued. "Okay, sorry. Names please!"

"I'm Frankie. Frankie Stein," Frankie said with a wave.

"Draculaura!"

"I'm Clawdeen. Clawd is my brother." Clawd raised a furry paw.

"I'm Clawd."

"Ghoulia Yelps," she groaned. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet ya, mates! I'm Lagoona Blue!"

"Jackson Jekyll."

"I'm Operetta, but you already knew that."

"See!" Lamia whacked Seth's arm. "I told you she looked familiar!"

"Abbey," the yeti continued.

"Cl-"

"Seth!" Lamia interrupted the mummy. "What are you doing?" Everyone turned to see Seth looking out the window.

"Aunt Medusa's home."

"Tía Medusa's home already?" Viperine questioned, peeking out the window next to Seth. He nodded. Lamia hurried as well to the window to see Medusa exiting her car. She quickly yanked up the window and stuck her head out.

"Medusa!" Lamia yelled, only to be met with Medusa's glare. "You know, you shouldn't leave us alone all day. Do you know how inconsiderate it is? Godd**nit! Have some thought for your BABIES!" Medusa stuck up a middle finger, earning a laugh from Lamia and Seth.

"You aren't mine!" She yelled back, entering the house.

"I love her," Seth said, turning to look back at the group along with Viperine and Lamia.

"Not when she hits with a f**king broom! Where does she even get it from anyway?" Lamia cried.

"It's her house. A lot of people have brooms in their homes," Viperine responded.

"To beat people with?" Lamia shrieked.

"Nah," Seth laughed. "Only you."

"I don't _need_ to be beaten with a wooden stick with pine needles on the end of it because I am a good, pure, perfect angel."

"Okay, sure. Whatever floats your boat." The door opened, and Medusa stepped in with the house phone in her hand.

"Lamia, do I even want to know why I'm getting voicemails asking for pot brownies?"

"Now, why are you so quick to blame me?!" Lamia said incredulously. Medusa rolled her eyes and gave her a look. "Alright, fair enough. I don't know why it's going to the house phone though. I must've been super stoned and gave them the wrong number." The gorgon woman rolled her eyes once more.

"Why doesn't that surprise me in the slightest?" She mumbled, shaking her head.

"This would make a wonderful story," Seth laughed. "Imagine telling Mom this."

"Oh, like hell you are! Euryale's gonna murder me, so don't think about saying a word," Medusa said. "She doesn't know half the stuff I let you get away with. And I intend for it to stay that way." Medusa gave one last look to her niece and nephew before exiting the room.

"Anyway, are you going to help us or no?" Abbey asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Lamia walked over to the group before staring directly at Frankie. "On Saturday, everyone gather at Frankie's house. Seth, Viperine, and I will come and we'll walk to her old house. We'll go take a tour through it. And wear sneakers!"

"Thanks, mate," Lagoona said. "Hopefully, we can find something."

"Believe me," Seth said. "You probably will."

"Hold on," Draculaura said, "Isn't Deuce coming with us?"

"Oh, no." Lamia shook her head. "Absolutely not."

"Why not?" Frankie inquired.

"No amount of persuasion will get him back into that house. You couldn't pay him a billion dollars to even step foot inside." Lamia shrugged. "And it's not like we can't give good information without him. We'll be fine. I just hope no one here gets queasy." Frankie nodded, and everyone began leaving. "Wait!" The group halted in their tracks. "Where does Frankie live?" Frankie answered as Lamia typed it into her phone. They began leaving again before they were interrupted once more."Wait!"

"Oh my Ra! What is it?" Cleo groaned. Lamia tossed a small book to Frankie.

"Viperine will take it back later."

"What is it?" Clawd asked.

"It's Madison's diary. You can read it and see if it helps. At least someone should look into her story. It'll probably be your best piece of evidence if Deuce never gives you any firsthand accounts."

"Uh...Thanks?" Jackson said, looking at the small book.

"Oh! And don't tell Deuce!" Seth whispered.

"Why not?" Clawd asked.

"Just don't. It's for the better. I promise. Now, you can go." The group exited the room and left the house. As they walked home, Frankie found herself thinking about Operetta.

"Operetta," she began, "who is Madison?

"This ghoul I knew from Music Festival," Operetta answered. "It was when I lived in Louisiana. My friend, Fynn, and her both made it to Nationals. Only the judges and five people could go to Carnegie Hall. It was Madison, Deuce, Viperine, Lamia, and Seth. I remember it called for a duet, but only with someone who has performed a duet before in Music Festival with the lead singer. They did that because fifty states is a lot to go through, especially if the song isn't short. They needed to cut the amount in half. So Louisiana and lots of other states couldn't perform. Oregon could. Oregon and New York tied for the winner. New York was only there 'cause her daddy was top judge. She was gosh darn terrible! They did finals and Oregon won. Madison and her crew shoulda went to the final one- the one for World, but somethin' happened, and she couldn't attend." Frankie nodded. "We had to pick sides. I chose Maddie's, of course. Most of us did. We were good friends until we had to go back to our home states. I have Oregon's Nationals music." Operetta pulled out her phone and scrolled through her camera roll before finding the picture she wanted. She showed the group a picture of Madison. She had green mambas flowing down her back. Her lips were the color of raspberries, and her almond-shaped, emerald eyes were accented in light purple eye shadow. She wore a dark dress with a purple corset. The group stared at her in wonder.

"She's gorgeous," Lagoona said, breaking the silence. Operetta nodded with a smile.

"I wonder what happened to her," Operetta said, lost in thought.

"From the way they were all silent whenever we first brought it up, I think she died," Jackson said.

"Case closed," Cleo said. "Project done."

"We have to look into it, mate," Lagoona said.

"Agree with fish ghoul, Abbey said. "How did she die?" Ghoulia groaned a response.

"Ghoulia's right," Clawdeen agreed. "We can't get a good grade if we just say she died."

"And we're presuming she died," Clawd added. "We don't really know that."

"Yeah!" Jackson agreed. "I mean, I met someone named Lolita who was in hiding. Maybe she is too."

"Wouldn't she be living with Deuce and his mom?" Cleo asked. "I mean, come on, really?"

"I don't reckon anyone at the school besides Viperine and Deuce knows," Operetta sighed.

"Are there other family we can ask?" Abbey asked. "Maybe father knows."

"Can't we ask him who his daddy is?" Frankie added.

"He's not too open about it," Jackson answered. "Heath asked him who his father was because 'who would have a kid with Medusa?' That ticked him off, and he wound up leaving the cafeteria. He wasn't in a good mood in the first place, but that really made it worse."

"Okay, the father killed her," Cleo concluded. "Case closed. Project done."

"Don't say that!" Draculaura cried. "We don't know that!"

"And I highly doubt that anyway," Clawd added.

"But who did kill her? And how did she die?" Frankie asked.

"This project is more complex than it looks," Clawdeen said.

"Why do you think Lamia said, 'You couldn't pay him a billion dollars to go back to that house'?" Lagoona asked her team.

"Think something bad must have happened- like fight between yak and snowman."

"I don't know, but there's got to be huge evidence there," Frankie sighed.

"Are we really going to go to her house on Saturday?" Cleo asked.

"I guess," Draculaura shrugged.

"Come on, guys, Frankie enthused. "We've a got a ghoul to learn about!"

* * *

On that Saturday, Seth, Viperine, and Lamia showed up at Frankie's house, where the group was already waiting.

"You ready?" Lamia asked, swinging a tie dye drawstring bag over her shoulder.

"Yeah, I think we all are," Frankie answered, nodding and looking towards her group.

"And everyone has sneakers on, right? Cause I just painted my nails and don't feel like slapping anyone for not listening," Lamia said, gazing at her talon-like nails, which were painted a shiny crimson.

"We're all good," Clawdeen said.

"Alright, then let's get this show on the road," Seth said. They all headed out of Frankie's home, and Cleo looked around the driveway.

"Um," She started, still looking around the house, "Where's the car?" Lamia laughed.

"Oh, we're not using a car," she said.

"Excuse me, what?" Cleo demanded. "What do you mean we aren't using a car? It's freezing!"

"I know!" Seth laughed. "I could key a car with my nipples out here!" Lamia laughed and playfully smacked his arm. "No, but seriously. It's not that cold."

"And we're walking for a reason," Lamia added. Cleo groaned.

"Well, how far away is this place?" Lamia thought for a moment.

"Maybe, oh, I dunno-"

"Three or four miles," Viperine interrupted. Cleo's eyes bulged.

"And...we're walking...?"

"Yes because we have a point for this, remember?" Seth grinned.

"Deuce and Madison would walk _everywhere_ ," Viperine said, putting emphasis on "everywhere." "It'd take two hours to get school. An hour and a half to get to the music store. What felt like forever to get to the airport."

"Yeah," Seth agreed. "But the music store was pretty important. If you read the diary, you'll know why."

"Well," Frankie said, "we didn't read it yet."

"That's fine," Seth shrugged.

"So..." Draculaura started, "Deuce didn't want to come?"

"He texted me saying him and a few of his group members are spending the day working on the project, like us," Cleo answered.

"A few?" Frankie interrogated.

"I think he said him, Gil, Invisi Billy, Scarah, Robecca, and Slo Moe," Cleo answered.

"Also, I told you yesterday that he wouldn't go for a billion dollars," Lamia said.

"But it's a house," Clawdeen said.

"Not to him it's not," Viperine mumbled, looking down.

"Maddie used to say, 'There are secrets in that house we don't tell,'" Lamia quoted. "So do not tell Deuce we're coming here."

"Why not?" Frankie asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It would kill him," Seth said, seriousness etched across his face. "And we're not even supposed to tell you guys about this place."

"It's just another secret," Lamia said.

"But haven't you heard that saying?" Cleo said. "Secrets, secrets are no fun unless you share with everyone."

"What, are you in middle school?" Seth asked. "No one says that."

"I want to show you all something," Lamia said, changing the subject. She took out her phone and went through her camera roll, scrolling through pictures and videos galore. She finally reached a certain video, hit play, and handed the phone to Frankie. Everyone watched the screen as they continued to walk. "I made a combination of all of our Music Festival songs after she died." Jackson pulled out a pair of earplugs and simply watched the video.

On the phone, a six-year-old Madison and Deuce appeared on the screen. Deuce was sitting in a metal chair, a guitar across his lap. He began strumming as Madison lifted the microphone to her lips. "I still remember the world from the eyes of a child. Slowly those feelings were clouded by what I know now." Her voice was smooth like silk. "Where has my heart gone? An uneven trade for the real world. Oh, I...I want to go back to believing in everything and knowing nothing at all."

"She's...magnificent," Draculaura said in awe.

"Definitely," Lamia said, her eyes still attached to the screen.

"I still remember the sun always warm on my back, Madison sang. "Somehow it seems colder now. Where has my heart gone? Trapped in the eyes of a stranger. Oh, I...I want to go back to believing in everything." Madison put the microphone into a stand on a piano and began playing, her fingers gently dancing on each note. She stopped singing, but there was a voice in the background singing. "Iesu, Rex admirabilis. Et triumphator nobilis, Dulcedo ineffabilis, Totus desiderabilis." Madison continued singing once the voice stopped. "Where has my heart gone? An uneven trade for the real world. Oh, I...I want to go back to believing in everything. Oh, where? Where has my heart gone? Trapped in the eyes of a stranger. Oh, I...I want to go back to believing in everything. I still remember..." Madison and Deuce were rewarded with a standing ovation from the crowd and judges. They walked off the stage. The next scene, Madison and Deuce were on stage with Seth and Lamia. Seth sat behind the drumset, Lamia had a bass guitar, Deuce had an electric guitar and a microphone, and Madison had a microphone and keyboard.

"Oh!" Abbey exclaimed. "You were there too!"

"Yep," Seth said wistfully.

"You're too important for anyone," Madison sang with the same silky vocals. "You play the role of all you long to be. But I, I know who you really are. You're the one who cries when you're alone. But where will you go? With no one left to save you from yourself. You can't escape. You can't escape."

"This is much better than the first one in my opinion," Clawdeen said. Dracualaura nodded.

"You think that I can't see right through your eyes," Madison sang. "Scared to death to face reality. No one seems to hear your hidden cries. You're left to face yourself alone. But where will you go?" Deuce leaned into the microphone while continuing to play the guitar.

"Where will you go?" He sang quietly as background, his voice as smooth as his sister's.

"With no one left to save you from yourself. You can't escape the truth. I realize you're afraid."

"I realize."

"But you can't abandon everyone. You can't escape. You don't want to escape." Everyone stopped playing except Madison, who played her keyboard and sang, "I'm so sick of speaking words that no one understands. Is it clear enough that you can't live your whole life all alone? I can hear you in a whisper, but you can't even hear me screaming." She took a deep breath, and everyone continued playing. "Where will you go?"

"Where will you go?" Deuce sang.

"With no one left to save you from yourself!" Her voice was stronger than it first was, and the group raised their eyebrows in shock. "You can't escape the truth. I realize you're afraid."

"I realize."

"But you can't reject the whole world!" Her strong pipes sent chills down everyone's limbs.

"Whoa," Clawd said.

"You can't escape. You won't escape. You can't escape. You don't want to escape," she sang. Her and Deuce sang together a few chords before ending the song and receiving a loud applause. In the next scene, just Madison and Deuce were on the stage. Deuce sat at the piano as Madison took center of the stage with only a microphone. Deuce began playing piano, setting a melancholy atmosphere.

"I'm excited for this one!" Draculaura smiled.

"This is one of my favorites," Seth responded.

"Under your spell again. I can't say no to you," Madison sang, head down. "Crave my heart and it's bleeding in your hand. I can't say no to you. Shouldn't let you torture me so sweetly. Now I can't let go of this dream. I can't breathe, but I feel..." She took a deep breath. "Good enough. I feel good enough for you."

"Something tells me," Clawdeen said, "that this song's meaning isn't good."

"You're not wrong," Lamia laughed.

"Drink up sweet decadence. I can't say no to you," Madison continued. "And I've completely lost myself, and I don't mind! I can't say no to you!" Chills returned as her powerful pipes returned unexpectedly. "Shouldn't let you conquer me completely," she sang, returning to the less strong vocals she just had. "Now I can't let go of this dream. Can't believe that I feel...Good enough. I feel good enough. It's been such a long time coming, but I feel good."

"Here's the best part," Seth said.

"And I'm still waiting for the rain to fall. Pour real life down on me. 'Cause I can't hold on to anything this good enough. Am I good enough for you to love me too?" Frankie found herself crying.

"That's...wow," Frankie said.

"So take care what you ask of me, 'cause I can't say no," Madison sang as Deuce hit the last chord on the piano.

"Oh, yeah," Clawdeen said, "Definitely not a good meaning." The crowd cheered wildly once more as the duo walked offstage. The next scene was still just Deuce and Madison. Deuce had an acoustic guitar, and his sister had a microphone.

"Pay attention to this one," Seth said. "It's really cool." Deuce began strumming his guitar.

"I can't run anymore," Madison sang. "I fall before you. Here I am. I have nothing left. Though I've tried to forget, you're all that I am. Take me home. I'm through fighting it. Broken. Lifeless. I give up. You're my only strength. Without you, I can't go on anymore ever again." She took a breath. "My only hope." As she sang, another voice came through.

"All the times I've tried," the voice sang at the same time as Madison.

"My only peace," Madison sang.

"To walk away from you."

"My only joy. My only strength."

"I fall into your abounding grace."

"My only power. My only life."

"And love is where I am."

"My only love," Madison sang.

"Whoa!" Frankie exclaimed.

"What was that?" Abbey asked.

"Watch," Viperine said, smiling.

"I can't run anymore. I give myself to you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. In all my bitterness, I ignored all that's real and true. All I need is you. When night falls on me, I'll not close my eyes, I'm too alive. And you're too strong. I can't lie anymore. I fall down before you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. My only hope."

"All the times I've tried."

"My only peace."

"To walk away from you."

"My only joy. My only strength."

"I fall into your abounding grace."

"My only power. My only life."

"And love is where I am."

"My only love," Madison sang. She soon turned grim. "Constantly ignoring. The pain consuming me, but this time it's cut too deep. I'll never stray again." Deuce changed keys on his guitar. "My only hope."

"All the times I've tried."

"My only peace."

"To walk away from you."

"My only joy. My only strength."

"I fall into your abounding grace."

"My only power. My only life."

"And love is where I am."

"My only love. My only hope."

"All the times I've tried."

"My only peace."

"To walk away from you."

"My only joy. My only strength."

"I fall into your abounding grace."

"My only power. My only life."

"And love is where I am."

"My only love," Madison ended. The crowd and judges applauded loudly, and Madison and Deuce walked off stage. In the next scene, Madison appeared to be the only one on stage. She sat at a grand piano with a microphone on a stand on the piano. There was only a single spotlight on her, and the rest of the room was dark.

"Oh, this one's cool!" Seth said.

"At Nationals, one of our competitions, we were supposed to choose a song we'd already done and turn it into a music video," Lamia added. "We chose this one, and it turned out amazing."

"You won first place for that one, didn't you?" Operetta asked. Lamia and Seth nodded. Madison began playing the piano. It was dark, as if it were a creepy doll's music box.

"You don't remember my name," Madison said. "I don't really care." She batted her long, dark eyelashes and smiled. "Can we play the game your way?" Madison sang. "Can I really lose control?"

As the music quickly flipped from soft piano to much heavier music, the lights quickly turned on to reveal Deuce playing electric guitar, Lamia on bass, and Seth on drums. "Just once in my life, I think it'd be nice, just to lose control, just once. With all the pretty flowers in the dust."

The music flipped back to the piano. Lights went out again with the only light on Maddie. "Mary had a lamb," she sang. Abbey scoffed.

"Why add nursery rhyme? Seems odd," she said.

"One of the judges, Jacob, had the same response," Seth said. "Just wait."

"His eyes black as coals," Madison sang.

"This next part, Madison quoted directly from her dad," Lamia said.

"If we play very quiet, my lamb, Mary never has to know," she sang.

Frankie choked on air. "What?!" She squeaked.

"When Madison was reaaaaaaally young, she remembers Mark telling her this just before he had his way with her," Seth said. "But in his drunken state, he called Medusa 'Mary.'"

"Oh my Ra," Cleo mumbled.

"Just once in my life, I think it'd be nice," Madison sang as the lights and music flipped. "Just to lose control, just once. With all the pretty flowers." She became solemn and serious. "If I cut you down to a thing I can use, I fear there will be nothing good left of you." She began playing piano as she sang, and the music got quieter and quieter. They received a standing ovation before walking offstage, with only Madison and Deuce returning in the next scene. Deuce sat at the piano, and Madison stood beside him with only a microphone in her hand. Unlike the other performances, Madison's dress was sleeveless, revealing her bruised arms.

"This one's good," Viperine said. "Sad, but really good."

"Sparkling grey. They're my own veins," Madison sang. "Any more than a whisper, any sudden movement of my heart, and I know, I know I'll have to watch them pass away. Just get through this day." She took a deep breath before continuing. "Give up your way. You could be anything. Give up my way, and lose myself. Not today. That's too much guilt to pay." She inhaled, her hands shaking as she gripped the microphone tighter. "Sickened in the sun. You dare tell me you love me!" The anger in her voice presented itself, and Deuce looked over at her. "But you held me down and screamed you wanted me to die!" The anger turned to sadness, and she sang, "Honey, you know, you know I'd never hurt you that way. 'You're just so pretty in your pain.'"

"Oh my ghoul," Frankie gasped.

"That's..." Lagoona started.

"Wow," Clawdeen sighed.

"Give up my way, and I could be anything." Madison looked up, blinking rapidly to get rid of the tears forming in her eyes. "I'll make my own way without your senseless hate...hate...hate...hate." This time, she let tears fall. "So run, run, run and hate me, if it feels good. I can't hear your screams anymore. You lied to me, but I'm older now, and I'm not buying, baby. Demanding my response. Don't bother breaking the door down. I found my way out and you'll never hurt me again." The audience cheered and clapped, and some were crying. Deuce and Maddie stepped off stage, but they entered it again in the next scene with Seth and Lamia. Madison had a slit going through her right cheek.

"Don't expect this one to be any better," Viperine said, wiping a tear from her right eye. "Because it's not."

The song began with whispers, and Madison looked out into the crowd wistfully. "Please, please forgive me, but I won't be home again. Maybe someday you'll look up, and barely conscious, you'll say to no one, 'Isn't something missing?'" The music began playing as Madison continued, "You won't cry for my absence, I know- You forgot me long ago. Am I that unimportant? Am I so insignificant? Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me?"

"Do you think she thinks about that now?" Clawdeen asked slowly and cautiously.

"I don't know," Lagoona sighed. "All I know is that this is making me for horrible because we're pretty sure she died, and none of us even knew she existed. Only Operetta, and even she didn't remember her at first."

"Even though I'm the sacrifice, you won't try for me, not now," Madison sang. "Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?" Frankie felt her stomach lurch forward.

"Oh ghoul."

"Please, please forgive me, but I won't be home again. I know what you do to yourself. I breathe deep and cry out, "Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me?" Even though I'm the sacrifice, you won't try for me, not now. Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?" A key change occurred, and Madison's vocals became stronger. "And if I bleed, I'll bleed, knowing you don't care. And if I sleep just to dream of you, I'll wake without you there."

"I feel horrible," Clawd spoke. "This is making me sick to my stomach."

"Isn't something missing? Isn't something... Even though I'm the sacrifice, you won't try for me, not now. Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?" The crowd cheered, and the next scene is at Monster High's auditorium. The judges are Headless Headmistress Bloodgood, Mr. Hack, and Mr. Rotter. Lamia, Seth, Deuce, and Madison are all on the stage. The music began, and Deuce was leaned into the microphone on the stand as he continued to strum his guitar.

"I'm just a step away. I'm just a breath away. Losin' my faith today," he sang. His voice was much deeper than it was in the second song, but it was smoother and more matured, producing a better sound.

"Fallin' off the edge today," Madison joined in, her own vocals just as strong as her brother's.

"I am just a man, not superhuman."

"I'm not superhuman."

"Someone save me from the hate. It's just another war. Just another family torn."

"Falling from my faith today."

"Just a step from the edge. Just another day in the world we live. I need a hero to save me now! I need a hero!"

"Save me now!"

"I need a hero to save my life! A hero'll save me!"

"Just in time!"

"How old is he?" Cleo asked.

"Um," Seth thought. "Twelve? Thirteen?"

"With a voice like that..." Frankie droned off.

"I've gotta fight today to live another day. Speakin' my mind today," Deuce sang.

"My voice will be heard today," Madison joined in.

"I've gotta make a stand, but I am just a man."

"I'm not superhuman."

"My voice will be heard today! It's just another war. Just another family torn."

"My voice will be heard today."

"It's just another kill. The countdown begins to destroy ourselves. I need a hero to save me now! I need a hero!"

"Save me now!"

"I need a hero to save my life! A hero'll save me!"

"Just in time!"

"I need a hero to save my life. I need a hero just in time. Save me just in time. Save me just in time."

"Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive?" Deuce and Madison sang together, their voices blending together nicely.

"We're in the fight of our lives!" Deuce sang.

"And we're not ready to die!" Madison returned.

"Who's gonna fight for the weak?" They sang together. "Who's gonna make 'em believe?"

"I've got a hero!" Deuce sang.

"I've got a hero!" Madison echoed.

"Livin' in me!"

"I'm gonna fight for what's right! Today I'm speaking my mind!" Both sang.

"And if it kills me tonight!" Deuce sang.

"I will be ready to die."

"A hero's not afraid to give his life."

"A hero's gonna save me just in time!" They sang together.

"I need a hero to save me now! I need a hero!" Deuce sang.

"Save me now!"

"I need a hero to save my life! A hero'll save me!"

"Just in time!"

"I need a hero. Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive? I need a hero. Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make 'em believe? I need a hero. I need a hero."

"A hero's gonna save me just in time!" The duo ended together. The crowd cheered loudly and gave a standing ovation.

"Fun fact," Seth said. "Deuce can't stand this song."

"Wait, really?" Frankie asked. "But he sounded so good!"

"Nope. Can't stand it," Seth answered. "He thinks it's too repetitive and the lyrics aren't strong enough. But Madison liked it and wanted him to sing it with her for the county competition. And he can't say no to her." The video continued, and the location is now a bar. Madison, Deuce, Seth, and Lamia were all on stage.

"This one is a favorite of a large portion of judges at the Music Festival Nationals," Lamia said. "But Madison almost didn't make it through the song."

"Why?" Ghoulia groaned.

"The state competition took place at a bar- the same bar that Mark goes to," Seth said. "If you look closely, you can see him in the video. He didn't know that they went to Music Festival, not to mention every year, the judges choose a theme. Some are "abandonment" or "problems" or "child's view." Whatever. This time, it was to use a quote someone who's impacted your life told you. It can be someone who impacted you positively or negatively. But you needed a quote from them, and it had to be the chorus. So Deuce and Madison chose a quote from Mark before realizing they'd be playing at the bar Mark was sitting and watching them in. All that just gave Madison a panic attack in the middle of the song." Everyone looked at the phone. The music began, and Madison's hands were shaking. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before singing.

"Stoplight, lock the door. Don't look back. Undress in the dark, and hide from you. All of you." She grabbed the microphone tighter until her knuckles are white. "You'll never know the way your words have haunted me. I can't believe you'd ask these things of me. You don't know me. Now or never." Suddenly, she lurched forward, almost hitting her knees on the stage. Tears sprout from her emerald eyes, and her powerful voice wavers as she sings, unknowingly sending chills down all the audience's spines. "You belong to me, my snow white queen. There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over. Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me. Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you."

"Wait," Clawd interrupted. "Was that the chorus?" Seth and Lamia nodded. "Her father said that to her?!"

"Unfortunately," Viperine said.

"Wake up in a dream. Frozen fear. All your hands on me." Her voice staggered, but she continued singing. "I can't scream. I can't scream. I can't escape the twisted way you think of me. I feel you in my dreams and I don't sleep. I don't sleep!" She cried harder, her hands shaking violently.

"I hate this," Lagoona mumbled. "This isn't right."

"You belong to me, my snow white queen. There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over. Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me. Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you." Madison's hands shook so badly that she had to put the microphone in the stand before she dropped it. "I can't save your life, though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting."

"She went off script here," Seth said quickly.

"I'm losing my mind!" Deuce, Seth, and Lamia looked at each other with panic in their eyes in the video, gazing to Madison every few moments. Madison's hands kept shaking and her voice cracked with raw emotion, but she kept singing. "And you just stand there and stare as my world divides!" She stared out the crowd with wet eyes after gathering herself. "You belong to me, my snow white queen. There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over. Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me. Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you." She landed on her knees before burying her shaking hands in her snakes, her nails digging into her scalp. Everyone cheered loudly as Deuce hurried out to grab his sister and pull her off her knees. He helped her off the stage, and her legs were wobbly. Seth and Lamia followed off as well.

"Was...was she okay?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah," Lamia nodded. "After her medicine, she was fine. Just shaken up." The video continued, and the scene changed to the Carnegie Hall stage. Maddie, Deuce, Lamia, and Seth were on stage, and each had their designated instrument while Madison and Deuce had microphones. The music began, and with shaky hands, Deuce raised the microphone to his lips.

"Death surrounds. My heartbeat's slowing down. I won't take this world's abuse. I won't give up, I refuse! This is how it feels when you're bent and broken. This is how it feels when your dignity's stolen. When everything you love is leaving, you hold on to what you believe in." His voice is strong and smooth like usual.

"The last thing I heard," Madison sang, "was you whispering goodbye and then I heard you flat line."

"No, not gonna die tonight!" Deuce sang.

"We're gonna stand and fight forever!" The duo's voices blended together to create the powerful atmosphere.

"Don't close your eyes!" Madison sang.

"No, not gonna die tonight!" Deuce sang in return.

"We're gonna fight for us together!" Both sang.

"No, we're not gonna die tonight!" Deuce backed away from the microphone and focused on his guitar for a moment before leaning back in. "Break their hold 'cause I won't be controlled. They can't keep their chains on me when the truth has set me free! This is how it feels when you take your life back. This is how it feels when you finally fight back. When life pushes me, I push harder. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger."

"The last thing I heard was you whispering goodbye and then I heard you flat line," Madison sang once more.

"No, not gonna die tonight!"

"We're gonna stand and fight forever!" They sang together.

"Don't close your eyes!" The younger gorgon sang.

"No, not gonna die tonight!" Her brother retorted.

"We're gonna fight for us together!" Deuce and Madison sang.

"No, we're not gonna die tonight! Don't you give up on me!" Deuce sang before taking a deep breath. "You're everything I need!"

"This is how it feels when you take your life back!" The siblings sang. "This is how it feels when you fight back!"

"No," the older brother sang, "not gonna die tonight!"

"We're gonna stand and fight forever!" They both sang.

"Don't close your eyes!" Madison sang.

"No, not gonna die tonight!"

"We're gonna fight for us together!" The siblings sang again.

"No, we're not gonna die tonight! No, we're not gonna die tonight!" Deuce sang. "Not gonna die."

"Not gonna die," Madison echoed.

"Not gonna die."

"Not gonna die!"

"Not gonna die tonight!" Deuce ended. The crowd went crazy with excitement. The noisy audience gave a standing ovation before the scene changed. They were still in Carnegie Hall, and all four were on the stage.

"Judges didn't vote on this song," Lamia said. "The bias was too great- greater than the other team's performance, so Jacob said the audience should vote for the winners." The music began playing as Deuce stepped towards the microphone on the stand.

"The world around me is lost in misery. The only good I've got in my life is you. No meaning. No other reason. When everything feels wrong, I feel right with you."

"So madly, desperate, deeply obsessed," Madison sang. "Your love is better than mine to me. Can I have this moment forever?"

"Take me to the beginning."

"You are what I believe," the siblings sang. "I'll live and die for you. This is all that I need."

"When nothing is real," Deuce sang, "you are my truth."

"In the darkness, you shine," Madison followed. "Can you keep me safe tonight?"

"When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe," they sang together.

"When we started whole-hearted," the male sang, "I never needed anything or anyone else. I was broken– you made me whole again. The only one I trusted more than myself."

"So madly, desperate, deeply. I will live for you completely. Can I have this moment forever?"

"Take me to the beginning."

"You are what I believe," both sang. "I'll live and die for you. This is all that I need. When nothing is real, you are my truth."

"In the darkness, you shine. Can you keep me safe tonight?" Madison's pipes sent chills down everyone's arms and legs.

"When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe. Believe in your love. Believe in your life. Believe that you can put me back together on the inside." The duo smiled at the audience before Deuce let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Chase all the fear away," he sang.

"Every time I speak your name," his sister sang.

"Take me– you are what I believe!"

"You are what I believe," the duo sang. "I'll live and die for you. This is all that I need. When nothing is real, you are my truth."

"In the darkness, you shine. Can you keep me safe tonight?" Madison sang.

"When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe," both sang one last time, ending the song. There was a loud applause and standing ovation before the video ended. The group walked in silence for a moment as Lamia put her phone away. Suddenly, Frankie broke the silence.

"Wow," she said, trailing off at the end.

"She's amazing," Draculaura agreed.

"Fur real!" Clawdeen said, nodding.

"I never knew Deuce had a voice like that," her brother added. Jackson pulled the earplugs out of his ears.

"And speaking of Deuce, we're here!" Lamia said. "Home 'sweet' home." She used her fingers to make quotations marks on 'sweet'. Everyone stopped to look at the abandoned house that was surrounded by old, dirty, molding police tape. The house was two stories tall and was white with red bricks and windows. It was stained with dirt and was in desperate need of a pressure washing. Ivy grew along the sides of the house. There were whitish-yellow flowers on the sides of the house that hung downwards with the stigma of the flower facing the ground. Speaking of, the ground was covered in dying grass that appeared in patches, the rest being just dirt.

"This house..." Cleo mumbled, "seems vaguely familiar."

"Huh," the white-haired gorgon said with a shrug. "Wonder why."

"Okay," Seth stopped in his tracks. The group turned to look at him. "Simple rules that would be smart to follow when entering the house. I suggest not eating or drinking absolutely anything in this house."

"You can touch whatever your courageous, little heart pleases," Lamia said. "But seriously. Don't eat or drink anything here." She began walking towards the house. "Oh, and nothing is as it seems."

"And blood is everywhere you look," Viperine finished. With one word, Draculaura fainted, only to be caught bridal-style by her boyfriend. Lamia lifted up the caution tape, and everyone ducked under.

"Those flowers are so pretty," Frankie said, motioning to the white flowers that drooped to the ground. She reached out to pick one and was immediately rewarded with a smack on the hand by Lamia. "Ow!"

"No!" Lamia yelled, smacking her hand again. "Bad dog!"

"I just wanted a- ow! Stop smacking me!"

"Those don't need to be picked. Especially by a young, innocent girl like you," Lamia said, whipping her hair back. Her snakes shook their heads, as if they were agreeing with her. "Don't be deceived. Those aren't flowers."

"Well, then what are they?" Frankie asked, rubbing her right hand with the other.

"They're drugs, babyface," Lamia answered, looking up at the plant.

"Devil's Breath," Seth said. "It's really weird, and it can cause amnesia. It's a tasteless and odorless powder that can be blown into a victim's face. Once that happens, the victim will do anything you say and the worst part is they won't remember any of it the next day."

"Found mostly in Columbia," Lamia added. "It's a wonder how she got them to grow here. And an even bigger wonder that no one got rid of these yet."

"She? Who? Madison?" Abbey asked confused.

"Oh, no! No, absolutely not," Lamia said quickly. "Not in a millennium. Marisa though..."

"Who's Marisa?" Frankie asked, only to be ignored by Lamia, who was heading up the stairs to the porch and front door. Ghoulia pulled out a recorder, recording the scene around her. Lamia stopped at the door and turned to the group behind her, who was also making their way up the stairs.

"Keep your hands and feet in the vehicle at all times," she said in a masculine monotone. "Remember the rules and stick together. Enjoy the ride!" She pushed the wooden door open, and it almost fell off its rusty hinges. "Honey!" she called to nobody. "I'm home!" A glass bottle fell off a shelf and broke on the floor.

"Wh-what was that?" Frankie asked.

"Just a little echo. Nothing to worry about, " Lamia shrugged, making her way into the house. Frankie looked over at Lagoona, who shrugged and followed the gorgon. The room they were in was a carpeted living room with stained, white walls. Most stains were either dark red or brown. There was a brown recliner with tears going through it sitting next to a couch with the same bad quality. Beer cans and bottles were littered around the room, some intact and some broken. Papers sat at the coffee table, and the television suffered from a broken screen. Yet, Lamia passed this room and went to the kitchen. "This here is the kitchen," she said. The backsplash was white tiles, and the floor was tile as well. Multiple papers, especially passed-due bills, were piled on top of each other in a mountain of paper and dust on the countertops. Everything was stained with blood.

"Why is there so much blood in here?" Jackson asked, pushing his glasses up further onto his nose nervously.

"Lips are sealed," Seth said. "We told you we'd help, but it's for your own good that you don't know."

"And it's good for us too," Lamia mumbled quietly before making her way to containers sitting on the counter. She opened three of them up. "Come look," she called. The group walked to the gorgon girl. "Look what they had disguised as kitchen necessities." She pointed to the first container. "Cocaine as flour." She pointed to the second container. "Marijuana as tea." She pointed to the third container. "Crystal meth as sugar." She closed the containers. "How crafty."

"What is this you speak of?" Abbey asked curiously.

"Drugs," Operetta answered solemnly.

"Look at you go!" Lamia said with a smile. "So smart!"

"Alright," Viperine interrupted. She frowned, peering around the room. "Let's move on. Basement?"

"No." Everyone looked Seth, who had a large frown etched across his face. "They don't need to see that."

"I think it'd be a great help," Lamia said, leaning into Seth's face.

"Llama," Seth urged, his teeth gritted.

"It'll be fine," she said, shaking him off. "What he doesn't know can't hurt him." Her brother rolled his stormy gray eyes but arched his eyebrows in sadness and pity. Lamia walked out of the kitchen and through the living room. She opened a door to the left and went down the stairs, everyone else following suit. The floor of the basement was smooth, gray concrete covered in dried blood, shards of glass, and dust. The walls were white and stained with blood as well. One wall was a mirror, but it was completely shattered. There was a small closet off to the side.

"Is there a single room without shards of glass and blood?" Ghoulia groaned.

"She's right," Clawdeen agreed. "This place has it everywhere!"

"Why do you think I told you to wear sneakers?" Lamia retorted. She turned her head to see Seth heading to the closet. She followed and stood beside him as her brother crouched down to the door and opened it. The room was roughly three feet by three feet and was drenched in blood that streaked the walls and inside of the door and pooled up on the floor. "It smells like piss and disappointment in here," she said. Seth snorted in an attempt to hide his laughter.

"That," he said, wheezing and trying to take a breath, "that isn't funny. That wasn't right." Lamia shrugged and walked back towards the team.

"Where did the glass come from anyway?" Clawd questioned.

"Old bottles that were filled with alcohol," Seth answered, standing to his feet and turning away from the closet and to the crowd of monsters. "Beer, wine, vodka, scotch, booze, gin. Some imported. Some illegal. Some old. All alcohol."

"Oh my my my," Lagoona mumbled to herself.

"I want to leave here."

"Alright," Viperine said, nodding. "Let's go." They headed up the stairs to the living room. They headed up another flight that took them upstairs. After going down the hall, they entered an old bedroom with stark white walls and some blood here and there but not as much as the other rooms. The room was simple, plain, and practically empty, with only two or three posters hanging up on the walls. Bottles of medicine sat on the dressers, and a window was cut into the wall. There was another door besides the entrance, leading to the bathroom. There was only one bed, and an old black jacket hung off the frame. Cleo opened up the dusty wardrobe and pushed through the dresses and corsets, finally pulling out a black dress with a violet corset.

"Eh," she shrugged. "A bit outdated and definitely not my taste." She put the dress back in the wardrobe before shutting its doors. She opened the drawer of a dresser, revealing back jeans and shirts. She shut that drawer too.

"Whose room is this?" Clawdeen asked, gently tracing her fingers along the comforter of the bed.

"It belonged to Madison and Deuce," Viperine answered, walking over to Clawdeen and putting a hand on the werewolf's shoulder.

"Let's see if Deuce ever took part in spring cleaning," Lamia said. She grabbed the mattress and flipped it over, revealing a hole filled with knives. "Jackpot."

"What?" Frankie squeaked.

"Was she suicidal?" Jackson cautioned.

"Mmm, a bit," Seth answered. "Not completely caught up on it, but she definitely thought about it. We told her that suicide was a permanent solution to a temporary problem, but she wouldn't listen."

"She killed herself," Cleo said. "Case closed. Project done. Let's leave now."

"Didn't you read the diary?" Viperine asked.

"We never got the chance," Frankie shook her head.

"The last diary entry explained what happened to her," Lamia said.

"There's a newspaper article in the book as well," Seth added.

"Can't you just tell us?" Cleo groaned.

"Now, where's the fun in that?" Lamia said sarcastically with a grin.

"I'm not complaining," Jackson shrugged. "They've already showed us to tons of information."

"Fine." Cleo walked up to one of the walls. On it, there were many names scribbled on the wall with a permanent marker in all different handwriting. Cleo traced her index finger along the names, keeping her finger on Deuce's name for a longer time than anyone else. "Who are they?"

"Who are who?" Seth asked, turning to Cleo.

"Umm..." Cleo looked at the names on the wall, "The names on here. Evangeline, Ashton, Jason, Roxie, Caleen, Gabriel, Gwendolyn, Deuce, Madison-"

"Oh! You'll hear about them later." Seth walked towards the wall and put his hand on it, his palm and fingers feeling the cold wall. Lamia pulled her phone out of her bag and scrolled through whatever page she was on. Finally, she looked towards Seth then Viperine.

"Hey!" she said. Seth turned to look at his sister. "Marisa's still got a few more years in prison. Mark's got the same amount."

"I'll tell D later," Viperine nodded.

"Who are Mark and Marisa?" Frankie asked.

"Nosy!" Lamia shouted at Frankie, who cowered away slightly. "...I'm kidding. Calm your tits." She turned her phone towards the group, revealing a mugshot of a middle-aged woman with mousy brown hair and dark blue eyes. She had sores all over her face and skin. "This is Marisa Grace Pallen. Mother of two. Murderer of three. Two being her own daughters and one being her brother."

"She killed her own family?!" Cleo yelped.

"That's horrible," Jackson breathed.

"You think that's bad!" Lamia said. "Wait 'til you hear about Mark!" She typed in "Mark Jayne," and showed the group a mugshot of a man with green eyes, brown hair the color of milk chocolate, and a cleft chin.

"That looks almost exactly like Deuce," Abbey pondered. "Just different hair."

"And nose!" Cleo said, inspecting the photo. "And he doesn't have anywhere near as nice eyes as Deuce. The pupils aren't snake slits, and the color isn't anywhere as pretty."

"This is Mark Nathaniel Jayne. Father of known eleven. Murderer of at least twenty seven," Lamia said.

"He killed all of his children but two," Seth added. "Kind of. I guess all but one."

"Oh my god," Clawdeen gasped.

"Known eleven?" Lagoona blurted.

"At least twenty seven?" Frankie piped in.

"We don't know how many women he had sex with or how many people he killed," Seth said.

"Who are the known eleven?" Jackson asked, looking back to the names on the wall Cleo still stood by.

"They are all around the same age," Lamia said. "The oldest is Gwendolyn- or Gwen. She is a demon and normie. She died at the age of eight."

"Next is Gabriel," Seth said. "Born a week after Gwendolyn. He's an angel and normie. He died when he was seven."

"Jason is after Gabriel by three days," Viperine said. "He had a brother named Ashton. His mother is the daughter of Pan. He died when he was eleven."

"Evangeline- or Evan- is the fourth oldest. She was born five weeks after Jason, but a month before Deuce and Maddie. She is part fairy and died at six," Seth said.

"Very few people know that Deuce actually started as a triplet," Lamia said. "Deuce was born a few minutes before Madison, who was the last one 'born'. Ianthe would've been the last. Alas, she was a stillborn. So we all just say Madison and Deuce are twins."

"Mark hurt Tía Medusa repeatedly when she was pregnant, causing Ianthe die in the womb," Viperine said.

"Madison died at thirteen," Lamia scoffed.

"Caleen was born twenty minutes after Deuce, Maddie, and Ianthe," Seth said. "She is part dryad. She looks more like a normie, but acts like a dryad. She is the stereotypical 'nature-loving, tree-hugging, hippie girl' to normies, so she gets away just fine in the normie world. She's the one Mark didn't kill."

"Ashton is Jason's brother," Viperine said. "He was born six weeks after Caleen. He died at nine."

"How can Ashton and Jason be brothers if they're only a few months apart?"

Seth shrugged. "Gestation periods are different for different monsters."

"Last of what we know are twins named Roxie and Lacie," Lamia said. "They are sylphs, or air elementals. They were born five days after Ashton. Lacie died at two, and Roxie died at five."

"This is really sad," Clawdeen said to herself.

"They also have two stepsisters named Iris and Kira," Viperine added. "They were normie and Rainbüsters. Iris was dead at six and Kira at seven."

"How were they killed?" Abbey asked.

Seth took a large breath before quickly spitting out the answer in one breath. "Ianthe was a stillborn. Gabriel drowned. Jason was electrocuted. Ashton was suffocated. Gwendolyn was shot in the head. Evangeline got food poisoning. Roxie was hung. Lacie burned to death. Iris fell to her death. Kira starved." Once he was done, he took another deep breath, trying to regain his lost oxygen.

"All deaths were involved with Mark," Lamia said, "except Iris and slightly Kira, which was Marisa."

"That's great and all, but what about Madison?" Cleo interjected.

"We aren't telling you!" Viperine uttered. "Read the diary!"

Ghoulia groaned, "I can make a serum using chemicals. It gives us access to the dead." The room was silent for a moment.

"You can do that?" Clawdeen queried, breaking the silence.

"Yeah," Ghoulia moaned again.

"Can we?" Frankie looked up at the gorgons with pleading eyes. Viperine shrugged before nodding.

"We'll go with you," She said.

"We'll even kidnap Deuce!" Lamia cheered.

"No," Seth said sternly. "We won't."

"Fine!" Lamia groaned. " _I'll_ kidnap Deuce. Happy?" Seth rolled his eyes. The group continued looking around the bedroom until Frankie found a large, blue book.

"Ghouls!" she said, opening the book. "Look what I found!" Everyone gathered around the lab creation.

"That's her scrapbook," Seth said, gazing at the photos in the book. "It might help to look at."

"Oh!" Lamia blurted. "I forgot!" She dug into her bag and took out a short, fat, dark red candle, as well as a lighter. "Sit." Everyone complied, sitting in a circle. Lamia sat the candle down in the middle of the circle. She flicked the lighter, and a flame appeared. She lit the wick on fire, and the smell of black cherries diffused through the room. Frankie looked towards her group, who shrugged in return.

"Um, what are we do-"

"Sh!" Lamia interrupted. "You're going to ruin it." Frankie immediately closed her lips together tightly. Everyone watched the candlelight waver, and Lamia closed her eyes and inhaled the smell of cherries. She took a deep breath in before opening her eyes and gazing directly into the glowing, red light.

"Mockingbird," she said calmly, voice still and unwavering. "We've brought guests. They'd like to meet you."

"No, we do n- mffpph!" Lamia slapped her hand over Cleo's mouth and grabbed her head with the other hand, pulling the mummy to her chest.

"They want to talk to you. You can tell them whatever you like; they're all ears. Anything you want to say to them or think they should know, tell them." She took a breath. "We're going outside. Don't hurt them. Deuce will never forgive you, especially if you touch his ghoul." Suddenly, everyone heard a door slam from the floor below. "Be nice." Lamia blew out the candle, gray smoke appearing in the flame's place. They heard footsteps coming up the stairs, and Lamia smiled. "Guess who's home?"

Seth stood up, followed by Viperine and Lamia. "We're going to be right outside if you need us," he said. "Don't be scared. She won't hurt you unless you give her a reason to."

"Wait!" Frankie started, but it was too late. The Gorgons had already left. Suddenly, Draculaura woke up.

"What happened?" The vampire asked.

"Nothing you can't watch on Ghoulia's recording later," Lagoona said, looking to Ghoulia, who nodded in return.

"So...um," Frankie said, "What should we do now?"

"No idea," Clawdeen responded, looking around the room. Suddenly, faint piano music began playing in the distance.

"Do you hear that?" Clawd asked. Frankie nodded. They all stood up and made their way to the door, going down the hall and stairs. They followed the music to the fireplace, where Ghoulia pushed a brick in. The back wall of the fireplace lifted up, revealing a secret passage. Everyone entered it and walked into a room with a large grand piano in the center of the room. There were bookshelves with music books, sheet music, and instrument cases lining the walls on the left and right. The back wall was adorned with a large, antique painting of a woman. The piano keys moved on their own.

"Ghouls..." Operetta gawked. "This isn't a piano that's supposed to move on its own!"

Suddenly, an ear-piercing screech rang through the air. Frankie ran out of the room and was followed by the rest of the group. They ran to the basement, where they headed to where the scream was heard. One look at the blood caking every surface in the room, and Draculaura fell to her knees on the ground. Clawd scooped her up and laid her against his chest. As they gathered in the middle of the room, Frankie gasped for air.

"What... _who_...was that?" She was met by the uneasy eyes of the others.

"Something doesn't feel right," Clawdeen said.

Cleo headed to the door and pulled on the handle, only for it to not budge. She pulled again and again before screaming. "It's locked!" She screeched. "We're locked in!"

"What?" Frankie ran to the door and tried, but to no avail. The two pounded on the door, yelling and screaming. Ghoulia walked towards a case filled with alcohol.

"Crikey..." Lagoona muttered. "If I knew we'd make her mad as a cut snake, I never would've suggested giving this a burl!"

Ghoulia moved a bottle of gin, whiskey, and vodka before seeing a thick bottle with a skull and crossbones on the label. She pulled the bottle, and the wall opened up, revealing yet another passage.

"Yes! We're saved!" Cleo said thankfully.

"Good job, Ghoulia!" Lagoona said. They all went through the passage, Clawd carrying Draculaura, who was still passed out. They walked down the secret hall, skipping the room on the left, which they realized was the music room. At the end of the hall, they pushed a thin board out of the way and went through the exit to find themselves in the bedroom once more, the poster that was covering the hole laying on the floor. Draculaura awoke. "I don't want to be here anymore," she said, shaking her head, her black and pink pigtails swaying.

"It is not like you were here much anyways," Abbey snorted.

"Should we...should we try talking to them?" Jackson asked. He looked around at the fearful faces of the group members.

"No sense in standing around," Cleo said, her voice wavering slightly.

"I want to meet at least one of them," Draculaura said. "Do you think they'll talk?"

"Only one way to find out," Lagoona replied.

"We can split up," Abbey said. "Maybe some are more willing to talk to some of us than others."

"Uh...do you really want to split up?" Clawd asked. "In every horror movie-"

"But this isn't some movie," Frankie said. "This was Deuce's life."

"Which would make for a pretty good movie," Jackson retorted.

"Doesn't matter." Frankie sighed. "We can split up if you want to, but the second something feels wrong or something happens, we all need to regroup."

"So should we group up?" Draculaura asked.

"I guess so," Lagoona said.

"Everyone needs to pull out a cellular device or an instrument to record on," Ghoulia groaned. "If they communicate, we need to catch it on tape."

"Good idea, Ghoulia," Clawdeen agreed.

After dividing themselves up, Frankie looked back at the group. "We meet back here in thirty minutes. Stay together, and good luck."

* * *

"If I were a dead ghoul," Clawdeen said, "where would I be?" She waved a flashlight on the walls, shining light on the cobwebs.

"I mean, where do you think the most activity is?" Draculaura said.

"Probably the basement," Frankie answered. "But we already went down there, and I don't think you could handle that again."

"Well...maybe there's something I could do."

"No chance, ghoulfriend." Clawdeen shook her head. Her curls bounced with each small shake.

"Hey..." Frankie said, an idea popping into her head. "Maybe we could blindfold her."

"That could work," Clawdeen said. She reached for a woven basket on the floor. Inside were sewing needles, spools of thread, and strips of fabric of all sorts. The werewolf reached for a long strip of black satin. "How about this?"

"Perfect!" Frankie said. She took the smooth cloth from Clawdeen and put it over Draculaura's eyes. She pulled both ends to the back of the vampire's head before tying the ends into a bow. "Can you see anything?"

"Nope." Draculaura stuck her hands out. "Not a thing." As she tried to feel for her surroundings, the other two grabbed each of her hands.

"We'll lead the way," Frankie said.

"Just watch your step," Clawdeen said.

* * *

Clawd, Jackson, and Operetta hurried down the hall to the master bedroom, where a king-sized bed took up the majority of the room. The bed was unmade, revealing stained sheets that were ripped off the mattress.

"Hello?" Clawd said. "Anyone in here?" He walked to the nightstand and pulled open a drawer, peeking inside. He suddenly turned beet red and slammed the drawer shut. Operetta and Jackson turned to look at him.

"D'ja find anything?" Operetta asked.

"Nope! Nothing at all!" Clawd said quickly.

Operetta raised an eyebrow. "Oh...kay?"

Jackson opened the door to the bathroom and stuck his head through the doorframe before walking in. "Hey, guys! Check this out!" The other two monsters entered the bathroom and looked at what the human was marveling at. He pointed at four needles on the vanity.

"Needles?"

"Heroin," Jackson said.

Clawd lifted a spoon up. The middle was burned black. "Weird."

"Should you really be touching that?" Jackson asked.

"Oh, yeah," Clawd said. "That's a good point."

"I mean, Lamia did say we could touch whatever our courageous, little hearts please," Operetta said with a smirk.

"I don't want to take any chances," Clawd said. He put the spoon back where he found it. "Who knows what this touched?"

"I'm feelin' mighty uncomfortable in here," Operetta said as she stepped out of the bathroom. The boys followed suit before Jackson sat on the bed.

"Dude, I swear I just saw dust fly off that thing!"

Jackson shrugged. "I've had worse." They sat in silence for a moment before Jackson spoke again. "Do you think they'll actually talk?"

"I don't know," Clawd said. "Do you?"

"I have no idea," Jackson sighed. "I just have this feeling like it's going to lead us to...well...nothing."

"Aw, don't give up hope just yet, sugar," Operetta said. She put her hand on Jackson's shoulder. "They'll talk. At least one of 'em's got to."

"But do you think it'll lead us to anything?" Jackson asked. "I feel like it's like nailing Jell-O to a tree. I mean, I know I was to the one who suggested this and all, but I have this feeling like it's all in vain."

"No point in giving up just yet," Clawd said. "There's got to be something in here."

Operetta walked to the closet and swung open the door. The air reeked of musk and dirt, and the walls were stained. Most clothes had fallen off their hangers and had piled up onto the floor in a large mountain of fabric. Standing on the tips of her toes, Operetta reached for something on the shelf. She used her fingertips to push it closer to her until it fell to the ground. The boys gathered around the object as Operetta knelt in front of it.

"A box?" Clawd asked.

"There must be something interesting in here," Jackson said with a smile. He knelt down beside Operetta. "What's inside?"

"I dunno," Operetta said, trying to pry open the latch. "It's locked."

"Great," Clawd sighed. "We'll never know."

"Not true," Jackson said. "If we figure out the box's age and the material, we can calculate the trajectory of a throw that will break it. Now, let's see...If we suppose this is made of wood- more specifically, pine- and that it is approximately a decade old, then we can-"

Suddenly, a large snap cut off Jackson's words. The boys looked over to see Operetta with a golf club in her hand, the smashed latch on the floor. She shrugged. "I found it in the closet."

"Whoa, what is that?!" Clawd said. He grabbed the golf club from Operetta and examined the head. "There's blood all over this thing!"

"It's pretty heavy," Operetta said. "Must've hurt."

"I don't think it came from a golfing accident," Jackson said. "It looks like it was used to beat someone with."

"Shut up," Clawd said. He dropped the golf club. It landed on the floor with a loud bang, one that shook the house. "I don't want to think about this."

"Well, then, we might as well see what's in the box," Operetta said. She got down on her knees and pried the remaining piece of the latch off of the box. The rust stained her hand, and she wiped it on her jeans. She lifted the lid, and everyone peered inside.

"Why would he have this?"

* * *

"Ugh, do they ever clean this place?" Cleo asked. She gently caressed the stair railing, dust caking onto her fingers. She pulled her hand away and looked back at the dust with disdain.

"Cleo, it's not occupied," Ghoulia groaned. "And even when it was, I don't think Mark could be bothered."

"But didn't they know they had guests coming? I don't expect a five-star resort, but this simply isn't enough!" Ghoulia simply rolled her eyes in return.

As the two stepped into the kitchen, Ghoulia recorded the tiles and countertops. "Look at all the bills."

"Hmph. No class."

Suddenly, a large bang was heard, one that shook the house. Ceramic dishes fell off the shelf and clattered to the ground. The plates broke into hundreds of shards. Cleo jumped back, and Ghoulia shined her flashlight on the cabinets.

"Something must've come from upstairs," Ghoulia groaned.

"Do you think it was the others?"

"Maybe." Ghoulia reached for an envelope that sat on the dusty counter. She ripped it open and pulled out a letter, reading it over.

Cleo peered over Ghoulia's shoulder. "What does it say?"

"Nothing of importance." The zombie put the papers back down before reaching for another. This one was written on notebook paper and looked as if it had been accidentally misplaced, lost in the mountain of old bills.

"That's Deuce's handwriting!" Cleo said, grabbing the side of the paper and pulling it closer to her, allowing her to read it too.

"Are you positive?"

"Completely," Cleo said. Her eyes didn't meet those of her friend, as they were too enveloped in the words on the paper. "I could tell it apart any day." After a few seconds, she asked, "What is it?"

"What does it say?" Ghoulia groaned. She attempted to pull the paper back, but to no avail.

"January is the color of her skin. February are her lips so inviting. Silk hair as short as her fuse. She's been damaged, she's been misused," Cleo read.

"Sounds to me like poetry. Maybe song lyrics."

"Well, that led us to nothing," Cleo said.

"That's not true," Ghoulia said. "We know something."

"And what might that be?" Ghoulia turned to face her friend.

"That he liked you."

* * *

"This place gives me bumps of goose," Abbey said breathily. She walked behind Lagoona, who pushed open a door.

"Come on," Lagoona said. "We gotta find something."

The room was painted light blue and was noticeably cleaner than the other rooms in the house. There was a full-size bed with pastel yellow sheets and a white couch. The furniture was white. A calendar hung on the wall next to the window, but it was frozen in time in February 2009. A little sailboat on a blue sea was printed on the top half of the calendar. Red pen scratched diagonal lines into the days. According to the calendar, it was still Thursday, February 26th.

"Look at this," Abbey said. Lagoona turned to see the yeti holding a pink spiral-bound book.

"What is that?" Lagoona asked, peering over Abbey's shoulder. Abbey flipped the pages until she got to February.

"Looks like a planner."

"That looks like Viperine's handwriting," Lagoona observed. "What does it say?"

"Sunday 1," Abbey read. "He's quiet. Just as quiet as when we last seen him. Reserved too. He keeps to himself and doesn't say a word to us. For the rest of us, Madison's death has faded into a faint ache, but he still has a gaping hole. It's been a little less than ten months, and he's still the same now as he was a month after the accident. He's gotten worse. The wounds are plentiful, and the bruising is in every shade of the rainbow. We think he's become immune to it at this point. He doesn't even make as much as a noise." Abbey lifted her amethyst eyes to meet Lagoona's. "Is this talking about Deuce?"

"It must be," Lagoona said. "Crikey...I didn't know how bad he was. What does the next one say?"

"Monday 2. Deuce still refuses to talk. He isn't eating much either. He's wasting away, and we're all worried for him. Tuesday 3. He's not progressing and still isn't eating. Fortunately, he's talking to Seth again, so that's a start. He mentioned something about spending two weeks in December of 2008 at his paternal aunt's house. We don't know which one or if he even has more than one. We think he misses her."

"He spent December at his aunt's?" Lagoona said. "Why wouldn't he go to his mom?"

Abbey shrugged. "Court?"

"Maybe." Lagoona sighed.

"Wednesday 4. Something snapped. He did a complete 180. He's become super anxious about everything and jumpy at the smallest noise. He won't tell us what's wrong or why he's skittish. Something is seriously wrong, but none of us know what."

"What do you think happened?"

Abbey shrugged. "I do not know, but it can't be good." She fingered the page nervously. "Thursday 5. He had a panic attack today- the first of this month. It lasted 32 minutes. He's still just as nervous, and we're worried about his mental state. Lamia thinks no one should change that quickly for no reason and is giving him a hard time over it, which isn't helping in the slightest. However, Mark didn't hurt Deuce today. He said a few things but didn't even touch him. We're all relieved. Friday 6. Deuce is still restless. The second he's alone, he locks the door. We asked what's wrong, but he's putting up walls and guarding himself. He won't let us know. Lamia thinks it for the better. Seth and I don't think she cares anymore. She's berating him as much as Mark does. Speaking of, Mark still hasn't hurt him. It's the longest he's gone in a long time. Saturday 7. He refused to go to Music Festival today. He's been going the last eight years- even the year after Maddie passed. But now, he can't bring himself to go. We didn't go with him last year, so we think something must've happened then. He stayed locked up in his room. He wouldn't even let us come in. Lamia's been screaming hateful words through the door, which we think is part of the reason why he won't open up. Mark still hasn't touched him."

"He didn't go to Music Festival?" Lagoona repeated. "I thought that meant a lot to him."

"Like Viperine said," Abbey said, "something must've happened." Abbey flipped the page. "Sunday 8. He had another panic attack. This one lasted for 35 minutes. He wouldn't let us come in when it was happening, but he eventually unlocked the door. I stayed with him during the night, at least until he fell asleep. That was 1:43 am. Monday 9. He doesn't want to be alone. The second he's on his own, he begins freaking out. Like racing heart, sweaty palms, and staggered breathing. Even when one of us leaves to go to the bathroom or something, he loses it. Something's wrong, but he won't tell us what. Lamia's giving him a hard time, and it's getting worse. Mark still isn't hurting him. As relieved as we all are, Deuce can't stand it. He's getting anxious over the fact that nothing is happening. He said it's like sitting on a rowboat with a war going on in the countries on either side- it's only a matter of time before the boat gets hit; there's no stopping it and all that's left to do is wait. His anxiety is tearing him apart, and as much as we're trying to help, there's nothing we can do."

"Crikey..."

"Tuesday 10. Deuce had another panic attack. This time, it lasted 38 minutes. He let Seth in the room during it, which is good. He also stayed with Seth through the night. Seth said that he fell asleep sometime around three or four. Lamia is still berating him for everything. Seth and I tell her to stop, but she doesn't care, and Deuce isn't saying anything. And Mark still hasn't done anything. Wednesday 11. He can't sleep. At all. Last night, he didn't get a wink of sleep, and it's taking its toll on him today. He's drowsy, which doesn't pair well with his anxiety. He also finally ate something today. It wasn't a lot, but it was something. Granted, we had to manhandle him in order for him to eat, but that's water under the bridge. He still hates being alone, and I stayed with him throughout the night. Thursday 12. He's talking to himself again. He hasn't done this since 2007. After Madison died, he did it constantly. He stopped, but now, he's doing it again. I heard him say something about 'leaving before the month is over.' Seth also picked up 'long,' 'scared,' and 'time.' None of us know what to make of it. He also had another panic attack, one that lasted 42 minutes. They're getting longer. He also didn't sleep. Seth stayed with him this time. Mark still hasn't hurt him, and it's tearing Deuce to shreds. Friday 13. He came home from school late. He was shaking uncontrollably and had Mark's hand on the back of his neck in a vice grip. They were in the basement for almost four hours- 230 minutes. Seth got him afterwards and cleaned him up. He couldn't even walk properly. It was bad. The only good thing that came out of this was that Deuce finally stopped worrying about when Mark was going to hurt him. He's still anxious as can be though. He also fell asleep against Seth, laying on his chest. He was mumbling to himself in his sleep. We picked up 'euthanasia' and 'the last time.' We can't decipher it though. Lamia stopped yelling at him today.

"Saturday 14. He didn't sleep again and doesn't remember talking in his sleep. He's also becoming clingy. Although it was mentioned previously that he didn't like being alone, it's getting much worse. Seth thinks it's because after getting beat for the first time in almost two weeks, it was way worse than it usually is, and Deuce is worried. The court case is on March 5th. Seth hopes the marks will still be there, but bruises and black eyes usually don't last more than two or three weeks, and as monsters, we heal pretty quickly- Deuce is no exception." She flipped the page. "Sunday 15. He didn't sleep last night. His anxiety is getting worse, and after Friday, he could barely move. He and Lamia got into a heated argument about whatever, and a panic attack broke up the fight and ended with Lamia leaving and slamming the door. His panic attack lasted 44 minutes, and Seth stayed with him the entire time, while I tried talking some sense into Lamia. This family is falling apart. Monday 16. Deuce struggled to get up and go to school. Because of Friday, it hurts to move. The only reason he managed to go was because he refused to stay home. It didn't help that he didn't sleep last night. He's so sleep-deprived that I'm surprised he hasn't fallen asleep standing up yet. Mark hasn't hurt him since Friday, and Deuce is still shaken up."

"Why would he go to school if he was in pain?" Lagoona asked. Her eyebrows were raised to the heavens.

"Think this is normal behavior," Abbey guessed. "Many people do."

"But if it's as bad as she says-"

"Then he wouldn't want to stay."

Lagoona sighed. "I guess."

"Tuesday 17. He fell asleep quickly but woke up multiple times throughout the night. His nerves are getting the best of him. Seth and I think it's because he hasn't gotten a ton of sleep lately. Whatever the reason, he's not doing well. Wednesday 18. He had a panic attack that lasted 49 minutes. He didn't sleep at all last night. I got him to eat something, but he couldn't hold it in. Seth is really worried and talked to Tía Medusa about it. We haven't seen Lamia in days. I just wish everything went back to normal. Thursday 19. He had another panic attack, but thankfully, it wasn't as long as they have been- only 26 minutes. However, he didn't sleep last night. Mark still hasn't hurt him, and Deuce is still anxious. He's talking to himself more. Seth thinks that Deuce thinks he's talking to Madison or maybe even Ianthe. Whatever the case is, he's worried about something. Friday 20. Last night, he fell asleep but woke up screaming. He kept saying, 'He's coming! He's coming, and I'm not going to make it!' Seth is really shaken up, and he looks worse than Deuce. He's worried- we all are. Deuce also had another panic attack, this one lasting 33 minutes. Lamia and Deuce got into a screaming match, but truthfully, it was really just Lamia screaming at Deuce, who was silent with his back facing her. Everything is turning to shambles. Saturday 21. Deuce had two panic attacks today. The first was 72 minutes, the second 23 minutes. He also didn't sleep last night. He rocks back and forth and sinks his nails into his palms; his hands are all marked up. We don't know what to do."

"Everything is just falling apart over there," Lagoona muttered. "And this was almost a year after Madison died. Imagine what happened directly after."

"Can not imagine." Abbey agreed and flipped the page. "Sunday 22. He's getting worse. He outright refuses to be alone- even for just a few minutes. He had two panic attacks, one that was 34 minutes and the other that was 61 minutes. He didn't sleep and still doesn't eat. He freaks out over the fact that Mark still hasn't hurt him. Seth and I keep telling him that it's because the court case is just around the corner, and Mark doesn't want the obvious evidence. He doesn't listen though. Monday 23. He had a panic attack that was 96 minutes long. He went to sleep last night but had another nightmare and woke up screaming again. Lamia yelled at him for this, and surprisingly, Deuce yelled back. He's still anxious about Mark and doesn't listen when we remind him about the court case. He's absolutely incorrigible. Tuesday 24. He had three panic attacks: 84 minutes, 17 minutes, and 48 minutes. He woke up screaming again. He's getting more anxious, more clingy, and more fidgety. Every little noise makes him jump, and he whispers to himself. His eyes glaze over everything, and he can't seem to focus. Wednesday 25. He still isn't sleeping. He had three panic attacks. The first was 99 minutes, the second was 52 minutes, and the last was 73 minutes. It seems as if none of the medicine is working, but we're scared to take him off and change it in case it actually _is_ working and he'd be absolutely dreadful if he wasn't on medication. I'm leaving today, so Seth is taking over writing for the rest of the month. I'm worried for Seth, since he'll have to take care of Deuce and get Lamia off his back alone. I'm worried that Lamia will do something she regrets. And most of all, I'm worried for Deuce. He just needs to make it to the court date, but I'm scared he won't last that long."

As the handwriting changed, Lagoona sat on the floor, leaning her back against the blue walls. She put her head in her hands and brought her knees up to chest-level. "Crikey..." she muttered.

"Thursday 26. Deuce is getting worser then usually. He got panic attacks like usually, but there were three. I don't know why Viperine makes me keep track of exact times, but here they are: 103 minutes, 85 minutes, 59 minutes. He fell asleep around 11:30 but starting screaming at 2 or 3. He stays by my side 24/7. Although he can't be alone anymore, he likes being alone over having Lamia with him, which is pretty sad. This month has gone downhill for everyone. Lamia and I are leaving America today. The court case is on March 5th. I hope he can last that long on his own."

Abbey closed the planner. "That is it."

"That's it?" Lagoona stood up and took the planner from Abbey. As the yeti said, Thursday, February 26, 2009, was the last day. "This is some good oil! We should keep this. We could use it for the project." The sea monster shut the book. "And more importantly, I think the others would want to see it."

* * *

"What do you mean he liked me? I met him in sophomore year!"

"Cleo, read it," Ghoulia said. "That sounds like it was written specifically for you."

"My skin isn't pale. And my hair isn't short."

"But blood isn't coursing through your veins, leaving your skin with a grayish tinge. And when was the last time your hair was short?"

"It was shoulder-length before, but that was in, like, seventh grade."

"Are you saying that this-" Ghoulia waved the paper, "couldn't have been written when you were in seventh grade?"

Cleo stared back at the words on the page. "I guess it could have. Maybe"

Ghoulia put her hand on the mummy's shoulder. "Keep it." Cleo nodded and folded the paper before slipping it into her bra.

"Where to next?" She asked.

"The basement is bound to have plenty of activity," Ghoulia groaned. "I suggest we take that approach and proceed in that direction."

"Good idea."

* * *

"It looks like a lot of pictures," Operetta said as she, Clawd, and Jackson peered into the wooden box. She reached in and pulled out a stack of shiny, ink-covered paper. She flipped through the photos. Clawd and Jackson both pulled out stacks of their own.

"Guys, look at this one!" Clawd said. Operetta and Jackson both peered over his shoulder and looked at the photo he held.

The picture was of Mark and Medusa's wedding. The two stood in the middle of the group. Medusa wore a stark white, Grecian, empire-style wedding dress with a sweetheart top and a court train. Mark wore a gray tuxedo with a black tie and boutonniere that was made of white roses and baby's breath. They both had on flower crowns that were connected by a long piece of ribbon. There were five people on either side of the then-couple. On Medusa's side, Euryale stood next to her, followed by Stheno, a spider-like woman, Clawdeen's mom, and Frankie's mom. On Mark's side, a man who looked similar to Mark stood next to him, followed by a Greek man with dark brown hair and eyes, a werewolf man, a man with mousy hair and dark eyes, and a Spanish man with black hair and dark eyes. All five were dressed in black and smiling. Some people were in goofier poses, but everyone looked jovial, as if nothing could bring them down. Clawd flipped the picture over to find a list of names written in pen. It read "(left to right) Viveka Stein, Harriet Wolf, Arachne Spider, Stheno Gorgon, Euryale Gorgon (Maid of Honor), Medusa Gorgon, Mark Jayne, Michael Jayne (Best Man), Lysandros Kritikos, Nikolas Demetriou, Anastasios Stavropoulos, Elias García." Clawd flipped the paper around to start back at the picture again.

"This was the wedding?" Jackson asked, his eyes locked on their happy faces.

"I don't know my mom went to their wedding," Clawd said, droning off.

"Or Frankie's!" Operetta added.

"You should ask her about it," Jackson said to Clawd, who nodded in response.

The trio kept flipping through the photos until Operetta stopped on one. "Hey, y'all! Check this one out!" They gathered around Operetta's picture, which featured four people. There were two men and two women. The first man was the same one from the wedding picture, the one named Michael. He had hair the color of milk chocolate that was styled up out of his eyes, which were a striking green. He had a strong, square jaw, high cheekbones, and thick eyebrows, as well as a sharp nose and cleft chin. His ears stuck out ever-so-slightly, and his smile with made of perfect pearls. His features were chiseled, and he looked like an actor or a model.

Mark was next to him. He had the same brown hair and square jaw, covered only by stubble. They had the same eyebrows and chin, as well as ears. His eyes were the same shade of green, and he too was smiling. He was a carbon copy of Deuce, and Jackson felt chills go down his spine. It was hard to believe that this man- the one smiling next to his siblings in this picture- was the same man that killed off his kids one by one.

Next to Mark was a girl. She had the same square jaw and green eyes, but her brown hair was dyed blonde with coffee-colored highlights, her brown roots peaking out near her scalp. Her eyebrows were much thinner than the others', but not to the point where they weren't there. She had the same nose as Mark and the same glamorous smile as Michael. She too could be a model.

Lastly was a girl who was noticeably younger than the others. Her features were soft, and her green eyes radiated kindness. She had long brown waves that went to her tailbone. Her eyebrows were thick but suited her face, and her nose was small and pert. Atop her head was a crown of flowers. Unlike the others, she smiled without showing her teeth.

All four of them looked happy, as if they were enjoying each other's company. Each was absolutely attractive- they were a beautiful family indeed.

Operetta turned the photo over. Written on the back was "Michael (25), Mark (24), Macey (21), and Monique (16) - 1991."

"They must be his brothers and sisters," Operetta said.

"It's hard to picture him with siblings," Clawd said. He pointed to Mark with his index finger, his nail touching the image's smile. "Like imagining if Hitler had brothers and sisters."

"But he did," Jackson said. He pushed his glasses further up on his nose. "He actually had quite a few brothers and sisters, but the most well-known is Paula."

"Do you just eat books in your spare time?" Operetta asked the human, who quickly closed his mouth.

"Course he doesn't," Clawd countered. "They aren't part of a nutritional diet." Jackson turned red as the monsters cackled.

"Shut up, you guys," he mumbled. He took out a stack of pictures, and a folded paper fell to the stained carpet. Operetta picked it up.

"It's all in Greek," she said. "I can't read it." She skimmed the words before looking at the picture on the front, where Mark's brother, Michael, was smiling.

"It looks like a funeral program," Jackson said.

"He died a little after the picture from before was taken," Clawd said, reading the dates on the front. "Only about a year and a half before Deuce's birthday."

"That's peculiar," Jackson mumbled. "I wonder if his death had anything to do with it."

"Whatever the case," Operetta said, "we should probably take it with us."

* * *

"One more. Perfect!" Frankie grinned as Draculaura took her last, wobbly step off the stairs.

"Am I on the ground?"

"Yeah," Clawdeen answered, "you're on the ground."

Suddenly, a loud bang rattled the walls. Pieces of the ceiling fell off onto Draculaura, who was oblivious but shaken up over the noise. "What was that?!" She cried.

"No idea..." Frankie trailed off.

Clawdeen scoffed. "Probably my brother doing something stupid like usual."

They stood in silence for a few moments before Draculaura spoke. "Uh...so...how do we talk to them?"

"Ghoulia said before that ghosts feed off energy," Frankie said. "And I'm a feast."

"Wait, what?" Draculaura questioned.

"Electrical energy." Frankie winked. She held up her right hand, and sparks flew from her index finger.

"So, uh, how does this work?" Draculaura asked.

"I guess we just try talking to them," Clawdeen answered with a shrug.

"Um, okay...hi! I'm Frankie Stein!" The lab creation said to the air. "And these are my friends: Clawdeen and Draculaura. Can you tell us your name?"

They were met with silence.

"Do you have a name?"

More silence.

"Is it just you? Or are there several monsters in here?"

Silence.

"Is anybody even in here?" Clawdeen asked. Her question was also left unanswered. "Frankie, this is useless," she said, turning to her friend.

"Come on, Clawdeen," Frankie said. "I have hope that someone's in here."

"Then, why aren't they answering?"

"Maybe they just haven't figured out how to yet."

"Or maybe they're just nervous," Draculaura chimed in.

"We come in peace!" Frankie shouted to the empty basement. "We promise we will do no harm!" They were met with more silence.

"Come on," Clawdeen said. She took Draculaura's hand in hers. "We should probably get back to the others."

"Please, Clawdeen! Just give them one more chance!"

Clawdeen sighed. "Fine."

Frankie looked up at the ceiling. "I know you're here...even if you don't feel like talking. I'm sorry we came in here and trespassed in your house. We just want to know what happened." She took a deep breath. "Can you tell us your name?"

The room was cold and still, but especially silent. No one moved. Suddenly, they heard a voice.

"Abe."

Clawdeen's eyes bugged out of her head. "What?!"

"I'm sorry- can you repeat that?" Frankie asked, trying to contain her excitement.

"Abe," the voice responded again. It was that of a boy. The voice was higher than the other guys', but it wasn't super high-pitched either. Frankie could hear the compassion in his voice, as if it was a trait that just came naturally to him.

"Abe...Abe...Gabe!" Frankie turned to face the others. "It's Gabriel!"

"Gabriel?" Clawdeen raised an eyebrow. "The second oldest?"

"Yes, yes!" Frankie jumped up and down enthusiastically. "I knew someone was here!" Her bolts lit up frantically, and sparks burst out at every angle.

"Stop!" The voice scared Frankie, and although she stopped jumping immediately, her enthusiasm still caused her bolts to let out pops and hisses of electricity.

"What's wrong?" Draculaura said. The makeshift blindfold was getting on her nerves, but she refused to take it off.

"You're scaring him," the boy- Gabriel- said.

"Scaring who?" Clawdeen asked.

"Jason."

"Jason...Jason...which one's Jason?" Clawdeen asked.

"Isn't he the satyr? The one with the brother?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Gabriel, we know what happened to you," Frankie said cautiously, changing the subject. "We know your dad ended your life when you were only a kid." She felt the air become tense and much colder. "I'm sorry that happened to you." She was met with no answer. "We also know you're Deuce's brother. Well, half brother."

That statement earned a quiet, muffled noise, one that sounded like a word, but an inaudible one at that.

Frankie turned to Clawdeen. "Did you catch that?" She asked, knowing the werewolf's sensitive ears could hear anything in a half-mile radius.

"No, not quite," she answered.

"Gabriel, we're friends with him. You don't have to be scared. Neither do the others."

They were met with another round of muffled voices.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell us?" Silence. "Anything you think we should know?"

"B-

Suddenly, the basement door slammed open. All three girls turned to face the doorway, their faces frozen in shock.

Cleo stood in the doorway, her hands on her hips.

"Have we missed anything?" She hurried down the stairs, followed by Ghoulia, who trudged along behind her.

"Gabriel, these ghouls are Cleo de Nile and Ghoulia Yelps," Frankie said. "They're also friends with him and have come to talk with you too."

Cleo looked on with wide eyes before leaning into Clawdeen. "Is she crazy?"

"Hello?" Frankie said. She spun around.

"I, uh, think we came in at a wrong time," Ghoulia said, walking backwards to the door.

"There's no need to be nervous!" Frankie called out. "They mean no harm!"

"Frankie," Clawdeen said, putting her hand on the lab creation's shoulder, "I suggest we leave them alone."

"Bu-but I-"

"It's for the better." She grabbed Draculaura's hand and led her up the stairs. Cleo and Ghoulia walked behind them. Frankie sighed and followed suit. When she reached the doorway, she looked back over her shoulder at the empty basement. The blood and glass. The odd, broken mirror. The way Seth tried to hide the room originally. They were just mysteries that added to the creepiness of the room. She felt as if a dangerous secret was locked in here- in the entire house, but particularly this room. It felt wrong to be in here. Like she'd bathed in pure, liquid sin. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"I don't know what went on in here," Frankie whispered. "But I'm sorry for all the pain you had to put up with. All of you."

And with that, she closed the door.

* * *

Lagoona looked through the doorways of each of the rooms. "Where is everyone?"

"Probably downstairs." Abbey shrugged.

"We need to meet up soon," Lagoona said. "I'm getting nervous."

"Is probably just caught up with searching the house."

"You're probably right," Lagoona muttered. Still, she was nervous.

The two continued to look for the others until Abbey put her arm out to stop Lagoona.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered. Lagoona shook her head. Abbey squinted her eyes before leaning her ear up against a closed door. "Is voices. Listen."

Lagoona put her ear against the door, just as Abbey was doing. Just as she said, Lagoona could hear voices coming out from behind the door.

After a few moments, the voices grew quieter and quieter. Finally, footsteps were heard. They became louder and louder with each second.

Suddenly, the door was flung open. Lagoona and Abbey fell to the ground with a smack. Two feet stood in front of them. They looked up fearfully.

Operetta's hand stuck out for them to grab. Lagoona let out a sigh of relief before grabbing the hand. "You scared us for a second!"

"We scared you?" She repeated, pulling Lagoona to her feet before helping Abbey up. "Y'all were the ones scaring us! We heard someone talking, and it stopped all of a sudden."

"Do you know where the others are?" Clawd asked.

"No," Abbey said, "do you?"

Jackson shook his head. "Nope. But we did find this trunk." He motioned to a box sitting on the floor.

"Anything interesting?" Lagoona asked.

"A few things," Operetta said. "Namely this picture." She handed Lagoona the picture of Mark and his siblings.

"We also learned that Mark's brother, Michael- the guy sitting beside him there- actually died right before Deuce was born," Clawd said. He gave Lagoona the funeral program.

"Well, we don't know if this man's death has anything to do with any of this. So this-" Lagoona held up the funeral program, "is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike."

"But what if it does mean something?" Jackson reasoned. "What if it means that after Michael died, Mark became so enveloped in his brother's death that he started drinking, which would explain all the beer bottles. He also could've gotten violent because of the drinking, explaining the blood and all."

"That's exactly what it means," a voice said from the doorway. The five gasped and turned to face the voice. Frankie stood in the doorway. "Or at least, that's what I think it means. Sorry, if I scared you, by the way."

"Frankie!" Lagoona said.

"Did you guys find anything?" Clawdeen asked, stepping into the master bedroom. Draculaura, Cleo, and Ghoulia followed.

"Yeah, we found a funeral planner for Mark's brother," Jackson said. Lagoona handed Frankie the funeral planner.

Frankie stared at the paper for a few moments before finally saying, "I'm going to stick with Jackson's theory here."

"What else was found?" Abbey asked.

"We discovered song lyrics," Ghoulia said.

"Really? Anything important?" Frankie asked.

"Nothing that would be useful to what we were trying to learn," Cleo answered.

"Oh, well, that's okay," Draculaura said, removing the makeshift blindfold.

"We found a planner," Abbey said. She flipped it open. "There is accounts of the days leading up to February 26th."

"Yeah, Viperine wrote it," Lagoona said. "Each day, she described how Deuce was doing."

"What do you mean?" Frankie asked.

"You'd have to read it to understand."

"Oh, okay."

"Was that all we got?" Clawd asked.

"Oh! We talked with Gabriel," Frankie exclaimed.

"Pig's arse!" Lagoona said. "That's gotta be a porky!"

"No, she didn't," Cleo said, rolling her eyes. "I walked in, and she was doing all the talking."

"No, we really did talk to him!" Frankie said. "Right, Clawdeen?"

"Yeah," Clawdeen agreed.

"Really?!" Jackson said, his eyes wide in amazement. "What did you talk about? Did you figure out what happened to Madison?"

"Well, uh, no, not quite," Frankie said.

"Oh," Jackson said. His shoulders slumped.

"Well, I guess that's it then," Clawdeen said.

"Oh, and one more thing," Frankie said. She looked at Clawd, Jackson, and Operetta. "Did you guys hear that loud bang?"

"Oh... _that_?" Clawd said before chuckling. "That was nothing."

Everyone stared at him with bored eyes and frowns, obviously knowing something was up.

"Mmhmm," Clawdeen said, her lips closed.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps. "W-who's there?!" Frankie cried. The footsteps come closer and closer. Everyone screamed. Lamia, Seth, and Viperine walked through the door.

"What up, fam?" Lamia said.

Frankie let out a sigh of relief. "You scared us!"

Clawdeen nodded in agreement."Most of us want to leave, so-"

"If you think this is bad, us being here will trigger tons more memories," Viperine said.

"And Deuce has some pretty twisted memories," Seth added.

"Some are worse than the ones you're facing now," Lamia shrugged.

"Deuce is still alive though," Seth replied. "He had almost two more years of it all before it stopped."

"I thought you said Madison died at thirteen?" Frankie questioned. Seth nodded.

"She did."

Draculaura looked towards her friends. "But, that would mean-" Lamia nodded as the vampire cut off her sentence.

"It wasn't that long ago when it stopped," Viperine said. "It was February 28th when his father and stepmother got arrested. A few days before his fifteenth birthday."

Lagoona's eyes widened at the mention of February 28th. _That was mere days after they left!_ She grabbed Abbey's arm, and Abbey nodded.

"Can you explain how it ended? Like how they got arrested after going on for so long?" Jackson asked.

"No," Seth shook his head. "It'd kill him."

Lamia snorted and smiled before diving her elbow into her brother's ribs. He smacked her in return.

"Well, honey, we're slippin' off a cliffhanger, so feel free to spoil whenever you wish," Operetta said.

"If you bring Deuce here- which you probably can't, but if you did- then you can see how f*cked up some of these memories are," Lamia said. She twisted a white snake around a pale finger. "But again...you can't. Guys wanna ditch?"

"Yeah," Frankie nodded. "I don't want to be here anymore." They all left the house and began walking back home.

"When are we going to see the dead?" Ghoulia groaned.

"Oh yeah!" Clawdeen said. "What time did you want to go?"

"After you read her diary," Lamia said.

"Alright," Frankie agreed. "We'll call you when we're done."

"We'll meet you at the cemetery," Seth said.

"Cool, Clawd replied. Operetta smiled.

"See y'all there."

* * *

 **So there's my true first chapter. How was it?** **Since I feel the need to ask, who do you like better, Lamia or Seth?**

 **The conversation at the beginning is about Riverdale.**

 **There is so much foreshadowing in this chapter, so see if you can spot some.**

 **Oh, by the way, the "key a car with my nipples" thing...yeah, that quote came from my friend.**

 **Here is a key for Lagoona's Australian slang...**

 **Good oil: useful information**

 **Pig's arse: I don't agree with you**

 **Porky: lie**

 **Useful as an ashtray on a motorbike: unhelpful**

 **The list of songs used in this fanfiction are:**

 **"Field of Innocence"** **by Evanescence**

 **"Where Will You Go"** **by Evanescence**

 **"October"** **by Evanescence**

 **"Lose Control"** **by Evanescence**

 **"The Last Song I'm Wasting On You"** **by Evanescence**

 **"Missing"** **by Evanescence**

 **"Hero" by Skillet**

 **"Snow White Queen"** **by Evanescence**

 **"Not Gonna Die"** **by Skillet**

 **"What I Believe"** **by Skillet**

 **"Wasp" by Motionless in** **White**

 **The song used for the chapter's title is lyrics from "Burned At Both Ends** **" by Motionless in White.**


	4. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: We Had to Learn the Hard Way

* * *

 **Okay, so this chapter is mostly just the two teams learning about their projects. It's the information they use. Just because it's the information, doesn't mean to skip this chapter. It is very important! I'm going to warn you: Get ready for a ton of line breaks. There are a lot!**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

After visiting the abandoned home, everyone met back at Frankie's house. They were sitting in the living room, some on the couch, some on the floor, some on the ottoman, and some standing up. Nevertheless, they all gathered around, where they discussed how to obtain more information.

"Alright, ghouls," Frankie said, tapping a ballpoint pen on her right bolt in thought. "We should split up."

"Two groups of five or five groups of two?" Jackson asked.

"Five groups of two," Operetta replied.

"Clawdeen and I can be a team!" Draculaura beamed.

"And Abbey and I," Lagoona said, turning to the yeti ghoul, who nodded in agreement.

"Jackson?" Clawd asked, looking over towards his friend.

"Sure," the human agreed.

"Ghoulia's my partner," Cleo said.

"Well, that leaves Operetta and I," Frankie said.

"Wait!" Lagoona interrupted. "What are we looking up?"

"Lagoona's right," Clawd said. "We can't have two teams looking up the same thing."

"Okay, well..." Frankie tapped her pen faster in thought. "We need one group to do Madison's home life."

"And school!" Jackson effused. He pushed up his glasses as he said, "Education is very important."

"Oh! And don't forget Music Festival!" Draculaura said.

"And her parents," Clawdeen added.

"Um, extra information?! Like personality, likes, dislikes..." Cleo said.

"Frankie and I'll do Music Festival," Operetta said. "I have some firsthand experience meeting, seeing, and hearing her music. It'll be a cinch."

"Jackson, bro," Clawd said. "Wanna take on Mark and Marisa?"

"Uh, sure? I guess," Jackson answered.

"Clawdeen and I can totes do home life!" Drraculaura said.

"Lagoona and me do 'important part' to nerd boy," Abbey said, crossing her legs. "Education it is."

"That leaves us with the extra information, Cleo," Ghoulia moaned.

"Fine," Cleo said simply.

"Let's get to it!" Operetta said.

* * *

"Alright bros and ghouls!" Heath swung his arms behind his head, leaning back into the soft cushions of the sofa in Monster High's student lounge. "We get the cool assignment!"

"Yeah," Toralei agreed, scratching the chipped, red polish off her claws. "At least we don't have to learn about some unwanted, dead corpse."

"What is your problem with her?!" Deuce retorted.

"Why do you care so much?" Manny bellowed. "She's dead!"

"It doesn't matter!" Gil interrupted. "We have our project, and the other team has theirs." Deuce flashed Gil a small "thanks-for-covering-me" smile, and Gil winked in return.

"So how are we doing this?" Robecca asked.

"Easiest way we know!" Invisi Billy grinned. "We ask the teachers. I mean, we need at least one interview. We might as well just interview all the teachers."

"Good idea!" Slo Moe groaned. "Who's asking who?"

"Let's try two group members per teachers," Scarah offered.

"Heath," Manny grunted. "You're my partner."

"Alright!" The fire elemental cheered. "The Bro Squad!"

"Meow..." Toralei purred. "Since Meowlody and Purrsephone are obviously together, I'll guess I'll just take Scarah." The banshee paled.

"What?" She said, looking towards Invisi Billy. "But Toralei, I'd rather-"

"I know you're a nuisance, but I'll be the strong one and support us both," Toralei interrupted, licking the back of her hand. Scarah pouted in return but didn't dare refuse. Invisi Billy noticed his girlfriend's discomfort.

"Um, Toralei? Maybe you and Spectra can-"

"Invisi Billy!" Heath interrupted. "Bro Squad?"

Manny nodded in agreement. "You're going with Slo Moe," the bull said.

Invisi Billy sighed. "Alright. I'm sorry, Scarah." She smiled in return at his efforts.

"I wouldn't have wanted that dramatic ghost anyway," Toralei said and rolled her eyes, only to be met with a loud gasp from Spectra.

"B-but," the ghost sputtered, "I'm not that dramatic! I just-"

"It's okay, Spectra," Robecca said, putting a metal hand on the ghost's shoulder. "We can be partners."

"Oh. Um, okay. That sounds...nice."

"So dude," Deuce said to Gil, "looks like we're partners. You cool with that?"

"Of course!" Gil said.

"Now what teachers are we getting?" Spectra asked.

"Manny and I get Coach Verizhe," Heath said quickly. "That guy is on fire!" His head immediately lit on fire upon saying this. Toralei rolled her eyes.

"Well, I want-"

"We'll take Mrs. Maiden and Mr. Zarr," Scarah interrupted as payback for before.

"Hey!" The werecat glared at Scarah, who shrugged.

"Sorry," Manny said, "NO take-backs!"

"Meow!"

"Can we get Coach Igor?" Invisi Billy asked Slo Moe.

"And Mr. Rotter?" Slo Moe added.

"Sure, dudes," Deuce nodded. "Gil? Who do you want?"

"Mr. Hack, I guess."

"We'll also take Mrs. Kindergrubber," Deuce added.

"I'd like Headless Headmistress Bloodgood," Spectra said.

"We can also take Mr. Where," Robecca said, "if that's okay with everyone."

"Meow..." Meowlody smirked. "That leaves Purrsephone and I with Mr. Fenderbender and Dr. Clamdestine."

"Wow!" Heath's eyes bugged out. "You actually speak?" Scarah grabbed a paper cup full of water and dumped it on Heath's head. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Of course she speaks, knucklehead!" Scarah said. "Why wouldn't she?"

"Well, I've never heard her do it before. And-"

"Let's get to work now," Robecca interrupted, "shall we?"

* * *

"So who are we starting with?" Gil asked, flipping through his notebook to find a blank page as he and Deuce walked through the halls.

"Mrs. Kindergrubber is closer," Deuce said.

"Alright." He scribbled her name on the top of the paper with a pencil before they walked a few classes down to Mrs. Kindergrubber's classroom. Deuce knocked on the door when they got there.

"Come in!" Mrs. Kindergrubber said cheerfully. Deuce opened the door, and he and Gil went into the classroom. Mrs. Kindergrubber wrote a recipe on the board. "Hello, boys!"

"Hey, Mrs. Kindergrubber," Deuce said, moving a dirty pot off the desk and into the sink to be cleaned.

"What can I help you two with?" The older woman asked with a smile.

"We would like to know what you were like in high school," Gil answered.

"Ah, is this for the project in Rotter's class?"

"Yes ma'am," Deuce grinned.

"Alright," She smiled in return. "Wait one second." Mrs. Kindergrubber finished up the sentence, then put the lid on the marker. She put the marker down and headed towards a bookshelf next to her desk. She trailed her right index finger along the spines of the cookbooks until she found a certain book, one that was black and white with a hard cover. On the cover, there was Monster High's logo. "Here it is!" She placed the book on the desk and motioned the mansters over. Once Gil and Deuce stood by her desk, Mrs. Kindergrubber opened the book. "This was my yearbook in my senior year."

She flipped through the pages, nostalgia flooding through her. As she flipped to a certain page, the students noticed the picture on the page. The photo was black and white and had about fifteen students in it. Above the picture, the words "Art Club" were printed. Mrs. Kindergrubber pointed to a young ghoul with large, round glasses, wavy hair that was about four inches below her shoulder, and a dress where the skirt was longer in the back. The front of the dress stopped at the knee, but the back went to the floor. From the left shoulder to the lower right side of the bust, there was a rainbow. The skirt has a splatter design. The ghoul wore Mary Janes and long socks. "That," she said. "That was me." Deuce raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I was always short and scrawny. I was never 'beautiful' but more...'cute'."

She flipped a few more aged pages before pointing to another picture. This one had her younger self with a young boy. "That boy. He was who you know as Mr. Hack."

Gil choked a bit. "Seriously?"

"Yes," she said. "He didn't mind that I was an art nerd. He liked me...for me." Mrs. Kindergrubber flipped to another page that had pictures of the senior prom. She pointed to a picture of her and Mr. Hack dancing, both dressed in formal wear with Mrs. Kindergrubber's hair put up into a bun with a rose behind her ear. "He gave me that black rose on the night of our prom. I still have it."

"So did you both like each other?" Gil asked.

"Yes, we both did. We dated for a short period of time...but then...he just lost that spark," she sighed to herself, closing the yearbook. "He cared more about his bloodies and games. We never got any time alone. It just didn't work, and although I still had a piece of me that still loved him, I broke up with him."

"So you were an art nerd, were in the art club, and liked Mr. Hack. Anything else that comes to mind?" Deuce summarized. Mrs. Kindergrubber thought for a moment.

"Not that I know of."

"Well, thank you for your time," Deuce said.

"It was much appreciated," Gil added.

"Oh, it was no big deal," the teacher replied. The boys walked to the door.

"Thanks again!" Gil said.

"You're welcome."

"Have a good day, Mrs. Kindergrubber," Deuce said before disappearing through the door.

"You too."

* * *

Frankie and Operetta sat in Frankie's room, Operetta in the chair next to the computer and Frankie on the bed.

"So Operetta?" Frankie started. "What do you remember about Madison at Music Festival?"

"Well, we were all given tee shirts," Operetta began. "Pink meant you were a soprano. Purple meant you were a mezzo-soprano. Red belonged to altos. Blue was given to tenors. Green meant you were a baritone. Brown was meant for the basses. Yellow meant you were a judge, and orange meant you were support. All of our shirts had the Music Festival logo on the front, our names in an arch on the upper back, and a symbol below our names in the middle of our back. Sopranos got a treble clef with a sharp northeast of the clef. Mezzo-sopranoes got the same thing, except they had a flat where the sharp would be. Tenors got the same treble clef as well, but they got the male symbol-the circle with the arrow-where the flat and sharp would be. Baritones got a bass clef where the treble clef would be, but no symbol in the upper right above it, and basses got the bass clef with a flat. Judges got a stick figure-like the ones on restroom signs- that was a DJ. Support got the silhouettes of a crowd dancing." Frankie nodded in understanding. "I remember Madison had a purple shirt. She was with two boys and two ghouls. They all had different colored shirts on. One boy had blue, one boy had green, one ghoul had pink, and the last ghoul got orange. Maddie and the boy in green were always side-by-side. It didn't matter what they were doing. Anyway, everyone was in the lunchroom, and the head judges started playing the videos of secret cameras in the rooms. All states were divided in two groups. No judges were allowed in the rooms, so there was two or three people in each group. The boy in green and Madison were in the same room, and everyone stopped and stared when their video came on."

"Really?"

"Do I look like I'm joking to you?" Operetta jested. "Anyway, everyone stopped eating and stared at the screen. Right then, they knew the youngest competitor there would be the hardest to beat."

"Madison was the youngest one?" Frankie marveled.

"Only a few minutes behind Deuce."

"Oh..."

Operetta took out her phone, flipping through her camera roll. "Here. I'll show you."

* * *

Lagoona and Abbey sat in Monster High. Lagoona was in the pool on the side leaning out, and Abbey sat right outside the pool in a frozen puddle.

"So. School. Are here. What do we do now?" Abbey asked.

"Mate, I don't think she went to Monster High..." Lagoona pondered.

"If this Maddie did not go to Monster High, where did she go?"

"I'm not sure, but I bet Headless Headmistress Bloodgood would give us Deuce's old school if we ask." Lagoona pushed herself out of the pool and grabbed her towel. She dried off and rang out her wet curls. "C'mon. Let's go ask Bloodgood."

* * *

"We should probably work on the project," Meowlody said, walking down the halls with her twin sister.

"Meow...Good idea, sister," Purrsephone agreed. "We can rub it in everyone else's faces that we gone done first." They smiled at each other as they walked to Mr. Fenderbender's classroom. Purrsephone peered in through the glass window on the door until she saw the teacher. She opened the door and walked in, Meowlody trailing behind her sister. Both werecats stopped at Mr. Fenderbender's desk, where the teacher was located, sitting at his chair grading papers.

"Hello, ghouls," Mr. Fenderbender said, looking up at them only for a moment. "Do you need anything?"

"Um, yes, sir," Meowlody said innocently. She batted her eyelashes to add to the effect. Mr. Fenderbender raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "Purrsephone and I were just wondering if you could tell us what you were like in high school."

"We would just like a quick idea of your teenage years," Purrsephone said, batting her eyelashes playfully and innocently like her sister.

"Oh, um, yes..." He picked up a framed picture on his desk, showing it to the ghouls. In the picture, Monster High was in the background with all the seniors in the front. There was a banner that says, "Class of 1814". On the side of the school, there stood a young boy with a tobacco pipe. He was leaning on the school's wall. Mr. Fenderbender pointed to the boy. "That young troublemaker was me."

"Really?" Purrsephone said, faking surprise. "I can't believe you were a troublemaker, Mr. Fenderbender. Are you only joking?"

"No, my ghoul. I'm not. I was the slacker in school. The stoner. I came to each class about forty-five minutes to an hour late every day. I would go around to the back of the school and smoke with my bloodies." He put the picture back on the desk before opening his drawer and taking out an old report card. "These were my typical grades." The twins gazed down at the report card that was littered with many D's and F's. "As you can tell, I was in detention more than my actual classes. I smoked, covered the tops of the desks with crude drawings, ruined the bottom of desks with chewed-up gum, and would graffiti the walls of the bathrooms. I was the bad boy of the school. The one parents were scared their children would grow up to be like. I frightened not only the students, but also the teachers!"

"You must've been real tough, Mr. Fenderbender," Meowlody said.

"Indeed, I was," Mr. Fenderbender said. "I challenged anyone and everyone to a fight. Even knocked a teacher and his tooth out. I got expelled for that, but back then, it was all worth it."

"Meow...Were you in any clubs?" Purrsephone asked.

"No, I wasn't. I never wanted to. None looked interesting to me."

"How about a crush or a date?" Meowlody asked. "Surely you've had one of those before, right?" Mr. Fenderbender shook his head.

"No. None of those either. Nothing really interested me. It was all tobacco and trouble. It was my entire year."

"Meow...Thank you, Mr. Fenderbender," Purrsephone said, desperate to finish and get out of the room. The twins left the classroom before the sister with the black-hair grinned to her sibling. "Did you take notes?"

"Of course, sister!"

'Purr...fect! Now, we just need to switch a few things out. Like...let's say he was an A and B student."

"He was a teacher's pet."

"And had a ghoulfriend."

"He was on the casketball team-"

"And would be often called a Goody-Two-Shoes!"

"Great!" Meowlody smiled. "Next teacher, sister. Time for these kitties to pounce!"

* * *

Cleo and Ghoulia laid on Cleo's queen-sized canopy bed, both on their stomachs and sharing a laptop in front of them.

"So...what kind of...information are we looking for?" Cleo said, filing her nails.

"Any kind, really," Ghoulia groaned. She pulled out two thumb drives. "Viperine gave us this."

"Hmm..." Cleo tapped her chin with a freshly-manicured fingertip. "What's on it?" Ghoulia grinned.

"Let's find out, shall we?" She inserted the thumb drive into her laptop, and three folders popped up. They were labelled "Music", "Stupidity at its Finest", and "Pictures".

"Which should we start with?"

"Whichever you want," The zombie moaned. Cleo thought for a moment.

"The second one." Ghoulia clicked on the folder that Cleo chose. In the folder, there were many videos, and Ghoulia clicked on the first one.

* * *

Robecca and Spectra were both on their way to Mr. Where's classroom. However, Spectra kept floating away from Robecca to eavesdrop on others' conversations.

"Um, Spectra?"

"Oh, what a story!" Spectra gushed, taking out her laptop and beginning to type.

"Spectra, I know you like to blog, but we must finish our project," Robecca said politely. "You can blog when you're done. The quicker we're finished, the quicker you can blog."

"Why wait?" The ghost said, never taking her eyes off the screen or her fingers off the keyboard. "So many good stories out there. My people need to be updated on all the drama!"

"Let's go," Robecca said, shutting the laptop closed. "We're almost there." She used her steam boots to fasten her pace. Spectra quickly floated beside her to catch up. After a few classrooms, both ghouls got to Mr. Where's classroom. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Robecca knocked on the door. Just then, Spectra saw Iris and Manny arguing. She silently floated away from Robecca, trying to get in on the gossip.

"Come in!" Mr. Where shouted from inside the classroom. Robecca, not realizing that the ghost just left, walked into the drama classroom, where Mr. Where was working with the Drama Club on a skit.

"Anything you need, darling?" He asked.

"May I learn about your high school years? I am doing a project in Mr. Rotter's class, and I would wish to know about your life as a teenager."

"Ah! Alright, then." Mr. Where looked to the Drama Club. "Continue working." He disappeared for a moment, but reappeared next to Robecca. "So you'd like to learn about my teenage years?" The robot nodded. "Alright, child. Follow me." He disappeared again and appeared next to his desk, where Robecca ran towards. Mr. Where opened his drawer and took out a small photo album. He handed it to Robecca, who opened it. The first picture was of Mr. Where as a teenager, a ghoul with large ears, a handsome boy with a charming smile, and a ghoul with long, dark hair and translucent hands and feet. "Those were my high school friends. We're still closely connected and still great friends. However, these were the only people I felt normal around. Around them, I felt crazy but sane."

Robecca flipped the page. There was a picture of the four on stage acting. The ghoul with the long hair had her right hand on her forehead in a dramatic pose. The boy with the great smile was offering her his hand. Mr. Where and the ghoul with large ears were hiding in props made to be bushes. "We were the drama nerds," he continued. "The ones who lived to act on stage. We would write scripts and act them out in front of crowds- small and large." Robecca turned the page to find a picture of all four smiling. Mr. Where pointed to the ghoul with large ears. "That was Natalia. She was shyer than the rest of us but opened up quite rapidly." Mr. Where pointed to the boy with the nice smile. "That is Hayden. All the ghouls in out school would swoon over him, and his looks brought him popularity. But he stayed with us. He used to say that the other popular people were just wannabes that wished for attention. They wouldn't be a true friend to him, so why should he bother?" Mr. Where pointed to the girl with the long hair. "Her name is Ella. She was well-known by her stunning looks, upbeat personality, and optimistic attitude. She was welcoming, but not in a naive way. Ella was smarter than most people took her for." Lastly, he pointed to himself. "And here I was. I was an A and B student that wasn't popular, but not an outcast. I was liked by teachers and students alike, but stuck with my group of friends.'

She flipped the page again. There was a picture of Mr. Where, Natalia, Ella, and Hayden in a park. Ella's head is laying on Hayden's left shoulder. "Natalia and I had realized that Ella and Hayden had loved each other years after our friendship bloomed. It didn't break us apart; it brought us closer together. Our tightly-knit bond had grown stronger. They had married after they both finished college. They're still going strong today."

"I'm guessing you all were part of the Drama Club," Robecca theorized.

"Yes, you are correct. We all took a liking towards drama, and our teacher had suggested the Drama Club. We figured it wouldn't hurt, so we went and never stopped going. Hayden and I were teased for going, but we never let it bother us. Why should we? We loved it, and that's what mattered."

"That's very inspirational! If only all students today were like that."

"Why thank you. Was that all you needed?"

"I think so. What do you think, Spectra?" Robecca was greeted by silence, and Mr. Where raised an invisible eyebrow. She turned her head to both sides but couldn't locate the ghostly ghoul. "Sorry, Mr. Where, but I must find Spectra!"

"No worries, child," Mr. Where smiled.

"Thank you for your time!" Robecca thanked.

"It was nice talking to you," Mr. Where said as Robecca rushed out of the classroom.

* * *

Draculaura and Clawdeen sat on the bottom bunk of Clawdeen's bunk bed. Draculaura sat cross-legged, hugging a skull-shaped pillow, and Clawdeen had her laptop on her lap and notebook and a pen by her side.

"So, um, how do we find information about her home life?" The vampire asked.

"We should probably return to the house...but..." Clawdeen trailed off.

"But what?"

"We can't walk a few steps without you passing out."

"I can handle it. See?" Draculaura formed her right arm into a right angle and flexed, revealing a very small muscle. "I'm strong."

"Uh, physical strength isn't the same as mental strength," Clawdeen laughed.

"Physical. Mental. It's the same." Draculaura shrugged.

"No, not really. But if you want to go again..."

"Yay!" Dracualaura cheered and grabbed Clawdeen's arm, pulling her out of her room and leading her to the old house.

* * *

Clawd and Jackson sat on Clawd's bed. Clawd had a tablet to take notes, while Jackson had a laptop to find information.

"Okay, so we're looking up...Mark Jayne and Marisa Pallen, correct?" Jackson asked, his shaggy bangs in his face.

"Yep," Clawd answered, grabbing two cans of Coke off the dresser and handing one to Jackson, who accepted it. Clawd opened his can, gulps an eighth of the soda, then put it on the dresser. "So who do you want to do first?"

"I don't care," Jackson admitted, taking a sip of his drink. "Do you want to start with Mark?"

"Yeah, I guess." Jackson looked up the Oregon State Prison for Humans and Monsters. The website brought him to a list of pages, one includes the prison's official website, which Jackson clicked on. There was a bookmark on the home screen on the top right that says "Inmates." Jackson clicked on the bookmark, which took him to a new page. The prisoners' names were in alphabetical order by last name.

"It's spelled J-A-N-E?" Jackson asked.

"I'm not sure," Clawd admitted. Jackson clicked on the 'J' at the top, which quickly took him to the beginning of the list that begins with a 'J.' He scrolls to the 'J-A-N's, then scrolled down to find Mark's name.

"I can't find it." He scrolled down even further to the 'J-A-Y's. He saw the name 'Jayne, Mark Nathaniel.' "Never mind." He clicked on the name, which opened a new page. On the left, the page showed a picture of a man with brown hair, green eyes, and a dimpled chin. Below the picture, it said "Prisoner 15864". To the right of the picture, there was a description. "Mark Jayne, also known as Prisoner 864, was arrested on February 28, 2009 for child abuse and alcohol abuse. Later, judges and police found Jayne committed many felonies, fourteen first degree murders, twelve second degree murders, perjury, and twenty-four misdemeanors. Some felonies include arson, rape, sodomy, human trafficking, burglary, robbery, and homicide. He has also received many DUIs throughout the years. The murders Jayne committed were mostly to people he knew. He put nine of his children to death and fifteen of his acquaintances at the Northern Salem Bar. He'd raped an estimate of twenty-nine people of both sexes."

"I'm already sick," Clawd mumbled. He typed the notes into the tablet of the number of felonies, murders, misdemeanors, and any sort of numbers or statistics found in the paragraph.

"At the trial on March 10, 2009, he pleaded innocent to the charges laid upon him and-"

"Hold on!" Clawd interrupted. "He pleaded innocent?!"

"It says here he did."

"I'm hating him more and more each second." They sat in silence for a few seconds.

"Do you just...wanna move to Marisa?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah," Clawd said after a moment. Jackson went back to the list of prisoner names. He found Marisa's name under the 'P's' and clicked on it. A mugshot of a normie woman with long, straight, brown hair and blue eyes stared at the screen. Under the picture, it said "Prisoner 15865". The description was to the right of the picture.

"Marisa Pallen, also known as Prisoner 865, was arrested on February 28, 2009 for child abuse and drug abuse. Later, judges and police found Pallen committed one first-degree murder, two second-degree murders, and eighteen felonies. At the trial on March 10, 2009, Pallen pleaded guilty to the charges."

"At least she pleaded guilty," Clawd mumbled.

"Marisa Pallen was guilty to murdering her two daughters- Kira Rainey Pallen-Roygip and Iris Iraine Pallen-Roygip, and brother, Jack Dean Pallen," Jackson continued.

"She's just a-"

"I know," Jackson agreed. "It is awful and makes me sick to think this happened. But we should probably include this. Did you take the notes?" Clawd took notes of everyone Marisa killed and her arrest charges.

"Yeah. Is that all for this sick freak?"

"Yep. Back to Mark?" Jackson offered. Clawd flopped on the bed and groaned loudly.

"Fine. Let's get this over with. Pick up where you left off." Jackson returned to the list and found Mark Jayne's name again, clicking on it. After skimming the paragraph, he found where he left off.

"Ready?"

"Hold on," Clawd said, bringing the tablet- which was at his feet since he flopped backwards on the bed- up to his chest where he could type. "Yeah. Now I'm ready."

"Okay," Jackson nodded. "At the trial on March 10, 2009, he pleaded innocent to the charges laid upon him, and after another trial, the court found him changing the story and caught him lying under oath, causing him to plead guilty." Clawd grabbed the Coke can from off the dresser and took a sip from the soda. "Jayne was noted to murdering his four sons- Gabriel Angelus Halo, Jason Jael Buck, Deuce Jayne-" Clawd spit out the Coke.

Clawd: What the-

* * *

Manny and Heath sat on the couch in Heath's living room, both playing video games. In the middle of one of the rounds, Manny found himself thinking about the project, an odd occurrence for him.

"Uh, Heath?"

"Yeah?" Heath asked, not looking up from the game.

"Shouldn't we...you know...work on the project?"

"C'mon, bro! We've got two whole weeks to do this project! We'll get it done before then with time to spare."

"Alright..." Heath paused the game to look at his friend.

"Relax, bro. We just gotta go to school and ask Coach a few questions. Then, we're done!" Heath focused back on the screen and hit play. "It's easy enough. Plus, everyone else has two teachers. We have one. We've got this in the bag!"

"Whatever you say, Heath."

* * *

"Alright, Toralei," Scarah sighed. "We should probably get started." The two girls were standing at Toralei's locker, with Scarah trying to pull the werecat away from it to help with the project.

"Meow...why get started now? We have time."

"Not as much time as you think, Toralei," Scarah frowned.

"Well, I don't want to start now," Toralei whined. "You can, but I'm not."

"Toralei, this is a group project! You can't just-"

"I don't feel like it, so I won't. Meow. Relax, banshee."

"How can I relax when I'm with a partner like you?!" Scarah huffed. She stormed out on Toralei, shaking her head as she walked towards Mr. Zarr's class. When she got there, she knocked on the door and waited. Then, after no answer, she entered the room. She found that Mr. Zarr was asleep on the chalkboard, his cheek pressed up against it. Scarah snapped her fingers a few times to wake up Mr. Zarr, which worked to her surprise.

"Wha-what are you doing here?"

"Sorry to disturb you, Mr. Zarr, but I need to ask you something of importance."

"Well, hurry up. I can't have people like you wasting my time."

"Alright, what were you like in high school?" Scarah asked, taking out a notepad.

"High school...I haven't thought of high school in years..." Mr. Zarr seemed lost in thought for a moment.

"Anything you can tell me about it?" The banshee asked.

"Of course, I can! I was a nerd. Yes, I said it. A nerd. I had thick glasses with tape in the middle, plaid button-downs, ties, a pencil behind my ear, and books always in my hands. I was the constant target for bullies. Lockers, trash cans, and even filing cabinets became my home away from home."

"Sounds quite a bit like Jackson," Scarah noted, writing notes on the paper.

"I was an all A student, and I was proud of it," Mr. Zarr said. "I was forced to do other's homework, but I purposely made them get a few questions wrong."

"Well, good for you standing up for yourself. It takes quite a bit of courage to pull that off."

"I was on the Academic Team, Math Club, Science Club, and Chess Team. I loved each one. However, I never loved any ghouls. I never found an interest in any. I mean, they were pretty, but they weren't my type. I was just the dorky nerd that got picked on and liked homework. Nothing more." He focused on the chalkboard for a second, then looked at Scarah again. "That's about where my high school life ends. I never did anything worth counting back then."

"Well, thank you anyway," Scarah said, leaving the classroom.

* * *

Operetta found the video on her iCoffin and hit play. She handed the phone to Frankie, who intently watched the video. It took place in a cafeteria. There was a screen on the wall that played videos of each state's group. In Oregon's room named "Red Team," there was a boy and a ghoul, each thirteen-years-old with a head full of Green Mambas and emerald green snake eyes. The ghoul, who was wearing a black and red corset, ripped black shorts with fishnet leggings, and black combat boots, stood near a piano. The boy, who wore a black Anthrax shirt that said "Spreading the Disease," black jeans with holes in the knees, and black sneakers, sat on the floor attaching new guitar strings to his Fender Limited Edition Dave Lozeau Art Stratocaster Dragon guitar.

"That's Deuce and Madison," Operetta said.

"You go through strings too quick," Madison said in the video. "You play your guitar more than I play my piano, so that really says something." Deuce finished replacing the strings and stood up. He tuned quickly before played the introduction to Steve Vai's 'Bad Horsie' to test out the strings.

"It's good now," he said.

"It's your turn to choose what we're playing."

"We had to quit the last song to early 'cause my strings popped, so I'll give you another another chance."

"You haven't sang in forever, so we're doing 'Bring Me To Life.' Okay?"

"Yeah," Deuce said, looking down at the guitar. "I don't know what you classify as 'forever' though. What? Like four songs worth?" Madison rolled her eyes and began playing the piano.

"How can you see into my eyes like open doors?" She sang. Her melodic voice was stunning, and Frankie felt herself gawking. "Leading you down into my core where I've become so numb." Deuce began playing his guitar. "Without a soul, my spirit's sleeping somewhere cold. Until you find it there and lead it back home."

"Wake me up."

"Wake me up inside."

"I can't wake up."

"Wake me up inside."

"Save me."

"Call my name and save me from the dark."

"Wake me up."

"Bid my blood to run."

"I can't wake up."

"Before I come undone."

"Save me."

"Save me from the nothing I've become," Madison sang. Deuce grinned and looked towards his sister. "Now that I know what I'm without, you can't just leave me. Breathe into me and make me real. Bring me to life."

"Wake me up."

"Wake me up inside."

"I can't wake up."

"Wake me up inside."

"Save me."

"Call my name and save me from the dark."

"Wake me up."

"Bid my blood to run."

"I can't wake up."

"Before I come undone."

"Save me."

"Save me from the nothing I've become. Bring me to life."

"I've been living a lie," Deuce hissed. "There's nothing inside."

"Bring me to life. Frozen inside without your touch. Without your love, darling. Only you are the life among the dead!"

"All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see. Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me."

"I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems. Got to open my eyes to everything."

"Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul. Don't let me die here. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING MORE!" He screamed.

"Bring me to life."

"Wake me up."

"Wake me up inside."

"I can't wake up."

"Wake me up inside."

"Save me."

"Call my name and save me from the dark."

"Wake me up."

"Bid my blood to run."

"I can't wake up."

"Before I come undone."

"Save me."

"Save me from the nothing I've become. Bring me to life."

"I've been living a lie. THERE'S NOTHING INSIDE!"

"Bring me to life!"

"Ooh!" Frankie said. "I got chills there!" The video on the wall shut off, and everyone in the cafeteria cheered, except Deuce and Madison. Madison slammed her face into the table and covered her head with her arms. Operetta's video shut off.

"She loved singing, but she hated attention," Operetta said. "She sang to make other people feel her emotions, not for attention."

"That's always good. No one likes an attention hog."

"Anyway," Operetta said, putting her phone away, "when I went to her and Deuce after lunch to tell them how good it was, I heard her say, 'I never would've sang that song to a crowd. It just wouldn't have happened. But if people like it, then whatever.'"

"'Then...whatever?!'" Frankie quoted, confused.

"Exactly!"

"It was a great song!" Frankie said. "Why wouldn't she sing it?"

"I don't know, but she must not have wanted people to hear it."

* * *

Invisi Billy and Slo Moe were walking down the hallway, trying to decide who to question first.

"So Slo Moe," Invisi Billy said, "should we start with Mr. Rotter first?" Slo Moe groaned and nodded, and the two walked down the hallway to Mr. Rotter's classroom. The door was already open, so the boys just walked in. Mr. Rotter was busy looking through papers.

"Mr. Rotter?" Slo Moe groaned.

"Yes?" Mr. Rotter asked. "What can I help you with?"

"Um," Invi Billy started, "you see, we were just trying to work on the project, and well, you are one of our teachers."

"Alright." Mr. Rotter grabbed a picture taped to the drawer of his desk. He handed it to Invisi Billy. It was a picture of Mr. Rotter in his high school years. He had Marge Simpson hair, a classic 1800s outfit, and a dorky smile. "I was the class clown. I tried to make classmates smile, even if it meant embarrassing myself in the process." Invisi Billy smirked at this. "I was the 1800s Heath. I'd talk out in class, which I often got detention for. I didn't mind though."

"Were you a class clown in an annoying way?" Slo Moe moaned.

"I will admit, I was sometimes, but who isn't?" Mr. Rotter answered. "I even led some teachers to disliking me. You two know Robecca. I was a student for her father's class. I tried so hard to impress him but always failed. I even got some of my phrases from him."

"Were you in any clubs?" Invisi Billy asked.

"The only reason why I was after school was for detention. Nothing else."

"Did you have a ghoulfriend? Who were your friends?" Slo Moe groaned again.

"No, I never had a ghoulfriend. I mean, do you see that outfit? My friends mostly consisted of other class clowns. However, you would've never heard of them."

"Anything you find the need to share?" Invisi Billy asked. Mr. Rotter chuckled.

"Once, I was chewing gum when I wasn't supposed to be. When the teacher came in, I bent down and spit it onto the floor- or so I thought. When I leaned back up, everyone started laughing at me. The teacher looked at me disapprovingly, shaking her head. I looked up and saw a wad of gum stuck in my hair. I had to use scissors to get it out." Invisi Billy held back a laugh, while Slo Moe smiled.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Rotter," Slo Moe moaned.

"You're welcome." Invisi Billy and Slo Moe left the classroom, and Invisi Billy immediately let out peals of laughter.

* * *

Clawdeen and Draculaura panted from the lengthy walk. They had their hands on their knees as they sucked in as much air into their lungs as they could.

"Next time," Clawdeen panted, "we're calling a taxi cab."

Dracualaura held out a full water bottle to Clawdeen. "Water?"

Clawdeen gratefully yanked it out of Draculaura's hand, opened it forcefully, and chugged a quarter of the water. "Thanks, ghoul," the werewolf said, screwing the lid back on the bottle. "Now, the house."

"I didn't realize the...haunted house look it had before," Draculaura admitted. Clawdeen took out her phone and began recording.

"Just in case. Now, close your eyes and I'll lead you." Draculaura closed her eyes and took Clawdeen's open hand. Clawdeen lead her to the front steps. "Watch the stairs." Draculaura walked blindly up the stairs without tripping. Finally, the ghouls made it up the flight.

"Can I open my eyes now?" Draculaura asked.

"Not yet." Clawdeen lead Draculaura inside and took her to the kitchen, where the vampire opened her eyes. The floors were drenched in blood, and the counters were covered in dirty dishes, ashes, dirt, and drugs. Draculaura, who doesn't see the bloody floor, eyed the filth on the counter.

"Haven't they heard of tidying up for guests?" She asked, pushing a yellowing envelope with her fingernail. "So rude." Clawdeen noticed a large knife in the sink. It was covered in a large amount of dried blood. Clawdeen's eyes widened.

"Uh, hey!" She said, trying to make sure Draculaura didn't see the knife and to try to get away from it herself, "Why don't we go...this way." Clawdeen walked to the living room. She bit her lip when she saw how much more blood is in the living room than the kitchen. She looked back at Draculaura, who has a bored expression on her face.

"It's not real," she said, her arms crossed. "You're just trying to scare me."

"Uh...yeah!" Clawdeen nodded. "All of this is fake! It's just...um...red food coloring! Yeah, that's it! Silly me thinking you'd fall for it." Draculaura picks up a box of cigarettes. She found many more on the floor around a worn chair.

"Whoa...they must've smoked a lot!" Clawdeen picked up an empty beer bottle.

"And drank a lot too," Clawdeen added. "Look at the glass." Not only were there many empty bottles of beer, but some were broken into many shards. Some of the larger ones were even covered in blood.

"Interesting...' Draculaura trailed off. Clawdeen eyed a paper on the chair's armrest. She walked over to it and picked it up.

"To the parents of Deuce Jayne-"

"I cannot get used to that," Draculaura interrupted.

"We would like to schedule a parent-creature conference on Thursday, October 23rd, 2008." Draculaura saw a large pile of envelopes near the chair. They all are bills with "Final Warning" in red lettering marked on them.

"Hmm. I wonder why these were never paid..."

* * *

"What do you ghouls need?" Headless Headmistress Bloodgood asked, looking at Abbey and Lagoona, who were standing in her office.

"Ma'am, do you have the old school name of Deuce?" Lagoona asked. The headmistress nodded.

"I do," she said, looking at her computer and clicking a few things. She scrolled to a list of students and quickly found Deuce's name, clicking on it. "He went to Lakewood Middle School along with a few other students."

"Am not familiar with this Lakewood school," Abbey said.

"Well, I am," Lagoona said. "I never went there, but I know it well enough. A lot of our friends went there." She turned towards Headless Headmistress Bloodgood. "Is there any information on him when he went there?"

"No, but if you go there, you can probably ask some of the teachers."

"Alright," Lagoona nodded. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"C'mon, Abbey!" Lagoona said. "We're off to Lakewood Middle!"

* * *

Robecca searched around the halls for Spectra. Every so often, she'd find her, but she'd disappear. Robecca raced down the halls, but when she made a left turn, she flew into Venus, knocking them both down.

"Oh dear!" Robecca said. "I'm sorry!" She stood up and gave Venus her hand. Venus gladly took it, and Robecca pulled the plant monster to her feet. "Have you seen Spectra?"

"I think she's with Iris," Venus said.

"Thank you, Venus!" Robecca said before racing off again until she sees a short, green cyclops talking to a ghost.

"There, there," the ghost comforted. "Now, what did he do?"

"H-he's just...ignoring me!" Iris cried. "He doesn't want to be with me anymore. He just wants to be with the guys. Does...does he not love me anymore?"

"Um, pardon me," Robecca interrupted. "Spectra, we need to finish our project!"

"I'm with another student!" Spectra whispered to Robecca. "Don't be rude!"

"Don't be rude? Don't be rude?" Robecca stammered. "You were the one that left me in the first place!" Steam shot out of the robot's ears as she felt her insides boil with anger.

"If you care so much about this project, then just do it alone," Spectra said, rolling her eyes.

"It's a group project!" Robecca retorted. "I can't have scatterbrained ghosts like you ruining this for us."

"If you care, then get it done. If you don't, then leave it. We have other group members. They can take care of it." Robecca opened her mouth to speak, but Spectra beat her to it. "Now if you excuse me, I'm helping another student." The ghost looked towards Iris. "Now, what did you say?" Robecca stomped her right foot and let out a yell of anger. She stormed off, leaving Iris and Spectra.

"If you care so much, then do it!" Robecca mocked. "Your grade's going down the drain, Spectra!" She stormed to Headless Headmistress Bloodgood's office. She took a few deep breaths and calmed herself down before entering the office. The headmistress was on the phone, so Robecca waited patiently.

"Yes...I know...Thank you. Bye." She ended the phone call and looked at Robecca. "Hello, Robecca! What do you need?"

"Information on your teenage years, miss."

"On my high school years? This is for Mr. Rotter's project, isn't it?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Alright. I guess I can share..." The woman showed Robecca a painted portrait that sat on her desk. It was of a young girl with dark hair with purple lowlights in a ponytail, a blue Polo shirt, purple pants, black boots, a magenta cape, a magenta bobble bracelet, and purple horse-shaped earrings. Next to the girl was a purple foal. "That was me in my senior years."

"Was the horse Nightmare?"

"Yes, but she was only a young foal- only a newborn."

"Oh."

"I was, how do I say...the 'teacher's pet.' I was the Goody Two Shoes, but wasn't arrogant. I had many friends, but wasn't considered to be one of the popular kids."

"Yes, I understand."

"I was an all A student and would never get detention. I only stayed after school to help teachers clean up the room. I'd help grade papers sometimes, but I'd usually just clean."

"You weren't in any clubs?" Robecca asked.

"No, I usually helped teachers and volunteered around the community. I'd go to animal shelters, senior centers, and even around town with a garbage bag and gloves, just picking up litter. I figured that I may as well help out. I loved doing it though. The smiles from everyone were all I needed."

"That's why Monster High is run so well! You were a leader even back then!"

Headless Headmistress Bloodgood smiled. "I wanted what was best for everyone else. It's how I keep my school going so smoothly."

"Thank you for your time, Headmistress Bloodgood," Robecca said.

"Thank you for listening, Miss Steam." Robecca smiled and left the office.

* * *

"Let's go..." Draculaura trailed off, thinking about the next destination, "upstairs." She headed up the creaky stairs, Clawdeen following behind and sighing to herself. When they reached the second floor, the enter the first room on the left, which was the master bedroom. The king-sized bed wasn't made, and the stained sheets were thrown every which way. An odor came from the room, particularly the bed and closet. On the dresser, there were bags of green leaves, white crystals, and white rocks. Next to that was a bong, a lighter, an opened box of cigarettes, a beer bottle, and a notepad. Curious, Clawdeen grabbed the notepad and flipped through it. She stopped when she saw a list with red X's slashed through some of the words.

"Hey, Draculaura!" She called. The vampire turned away from the bed and looked at her friend. "Used. At home abortion. Fire. Ropes. Poison. Falling. Starvation. Drowning. Bullet to head. Suffocation. Electricity. Impalement slash stabbing."

"What is that?" Draculaura asked. "What does that mean?"

"Wait, I'm not done." Clawdeen skimmed the paper. "Ideas. Crushed? Loss of blood?"

"Seriously, what does this mean?"

"They all have one thing in common," Clawdeen said, putting the notepad back on the dresser. "They were or will be used to kill." She dug through the materials on the dresser again, as Draculaura opened the closet door, seeing a small room that smelled like beer and urine. Scratch marks littered the walls. Clawdeen stopped on a picture. In the photo, there were a group of children, all roughly four years old. One girl had black hair pulled in low pigtails. Next to her was a girl who has curly, blonde hair and large fairy wings. Another girl had wavy, blue hair, and another had straight brown hair. A boy with side-swept brown hair, angel wings, and a halo sat next to a girl with straight black hair and reddish skin. Two boys have a ram horns: one with brown hair and one with blonde. A girl with long, caramel brown hair pulled into pigtails sat beside Madison and Deuce. However, a red Sharpie was used to draw a circle with a diagonal line through the middle on everyone's face except the girl with long, caramel hair and Deuce. Deuce had only a circle though. Clawdeen handed Draculaura the picture, and the vampire looked at it without saying a word.

"This...this isn't right..." she finally managed to utter. Clawdeen pulled the picture of Draculaura's hands and put it back on the dresser.

"Let's go to a different room." They left the bedroom and went down the hall, where Madison and Deuce's room was. They entered the room, and the door shut on its own behind the duo. "Why'd you shut the door?" Clawdeen asked.

"I didn't," Dracualura answered. "I thought you did." She stopped and turned around. "Uhhh...Clawdeen?"

* * *

"That makes no sense!" Frankie slapped her hand down as Operetta shrugged.

"Anyway, we were all told how many years in a row everyone won Music Festival in our state. The judges said that she and her family won Music Festival seven years in a row. Then, you add in them winning for their county and state. Lastly, they won for national."

"They won ten times? Consecutively?!" Frankie's jaw dropped.

"Sure did," Operetta nodded.

"Whoa..." Frankie marveled in awe.

"We all knew she had something special in her." Operetta played with a loose thread on her shirt, refusing to make eye contact. "What we didn't know is she wouldn't make it to the worldwide competition."

"There was a worldwide competition?"

"Yeah, the finals. But only some countries came. For example, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Australia, China, Russia, and India came. Slovakia, Lithuania, Argentina, Kenya, and Chile didn't go."

"Oh. okay."

"It would've taken place in Sacramento, California, so they went back home to Oregon. However, we were all told there was an accident and they couldn't make it." Operetta managed to pull her eyes up to meet Frankie's. "They never told anyone what the accident was."

"Did anyone go?" Frankie asked.

"The awful singer who was from New York, Britney, went instead. I reckon 'Merica would have won if we'd have Madison at the worldwide competition."

"I bet," Frankie said, thinking back to the videos Lamia and Operetta showed her. "So you weren't you told what the accident was?"

"Nope. None of us were."

"So all you know was that she died?"

"They didn't even tell us that!" Operetta hissed, frustration present in her voice. "I didn't find that out until much later."

"Hm..." Frankie mumbled, lost in thought.

"What is it, sugah?"

"What if we went to the Music Festival in Oregon?" Frankie offered. "We could talk to the judges and get more information." Operetta stood up and grinned.

"Great idea!"

* * *

"Meow..." Purrsephone said with a smirk. "Now that we have that done, should we go to Dr. Clamdestine." Meowlody nodded.

"I think we should, sister." They headed to Dr. Clamdestine's classroom and entered without knocking. Dr. Clamdestine, who was cleaning up the classroom, looked up at the twins.

"Ah! Hello, ghouls!" He stood up and walked over to the werecats.

"Hello, Dr. Clamdestine," Purrsephone said, the same sugar-sweet voice you used for Mr. Fenderbender. "We were just wondering if we could hear about your years as a teenager."

"Meow...we'd love to hear it," Meowlody agreed.

"High school was...quite an adventure for me," he grinned. "I was the prep. I sported a collared shirt, khakis, and a sweater around my neck. I was, as people say, a snob, but that was just my personality. I wouldn't take anything from anybody. I was just that arrogant kid with the expensive clothes. And I was fine with that." He smiled to himself. "I felt like I was too good for clubs, so I never joined any. However, the ghouls never interested me, so I never dated either. It was my other preppy friends and me against the world." He paused, lost in thought. "I'm not even sure why I thought I was better than everyone else." He shrugged and looked back at the twins. "Oh well. I'm not much more interesting than that."

"Oh, thank you anyway!" Meowlody smiled.

"Yes! Thank you, Dr. Clamdestine!" The sisters left the room, smirking and purring to themselves. Once they were a few hallways down, Purrsephone asked, "How about a jock with low C's and D's?"

"Purr-fect!" Meowlody smiled. "Let's say he also had a ghoulfriend who was a blonde bombshell."

"I love it! Now, let's go tell our group." Both snickered and sauntered away to go find their team.

* * *

"And Ashton Faunus Buck, five daughters- Gwendolyn Evie Demõn, Evangeline Pixie Wings, Madison Jayne, Roxanne Skylar Stratus, and Alessia Airabella Stratus, six coworkers- Hayden Cal Renner, Jamie Patricia Bowman, Yasmine Eleanor Garcia, Dylan Samuel Oliver, Thomas George Greens, and Matt John Horshe, two prisoners- Ethel Sarah Fayer and Romano Alec Zimmerman, and nine friends- Ezekiel Keith Durham, Sebastian Owen Val, Wyatt Arthur Barre, Alfred Norman O'Conner, Jared Zach Umar, Henry Ian Necking, April Leslie Torn, Erin Faye Lorene, and Kayla Sally Finn," Jackson finished. Clawd stared at him, still trying to wrap his mind around the murder victims.

"Okay, hold on," he said. "I'm so confused. Deuce? And what about that other dead ghoul?"

"Ianthe?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah, her. What happened?"

* * *

Once Lagoona and Abbey got to Lakewood Middle School, they saw a lady with a blue blazer and knee-high pencil skirt with a slit down the side only a few inches tall. Underneath the blazer was a teal, button down, collared dress shirt. She had brown hair with green highlights and blue lowlights. Her eyes were misty blue and were highlighted with blue eyeshadow and green eyeliner. Her lips were painted red, and her skin was lime green. She held a stack of papers in her arms.

"Um, excuse me, miss?" Lagoona asked politely.

"We look for principal," Abbey said bluntly. "Mrs. Rosewater."

"That would be me," the lady said. She walked into her office, and Lagoona and Abbey followed her in. Mrs. Rosewater dropped the papers on her desk and looked back at the teenagers. "What can I help you two ladies with?"

"Old student," Abbey answered. "Used to go here."

"What is his or her name?"

"Madison Gor- I mean Jayne. Madison Jayne," Lagoona corrected herself. The principal thought for a moment.

"Mmm...I don't remember a Madison Jayne. Let me check." She sat down at her desk in front of the computer. She checked the monitor, and after a few clicks of the mouse, she finally came to a certaim page. "Oh! Looks like we did have Madison Jayne. Recently too! My memory must be slipping. Here. I'll print out her schedule, so you can ask her teachers about her, okay?"

"Thank you," Lagoona said. "We'd love that." Mrs. Rosewater printed out the schedule on some copy paper and handed it to the saltwater monster. "Thank you again, miss."

"You're welcome." The girls left the office before Lagoona looked at the schedule.

"It says here that her first class was Math with Mrs. Para Anguish."

"What room?"

"Room 705."

"Believe rooms are based on grades. Starts with '7', so is on seventh grade hall."

"Good thinking, Abbey!"

"Like yak with puzzle. Get it done quick."

"We should go check it out," Lagoona smiled, hurrying down the hallways. After a few minutes, Lagoona and Abbey found the hallway. They walked down it, reading the numbers aloud. They finally arrived at Room 705.

"Are here," Abbey said. "Now what?" Lagoona knocked on the door, and a teacher instantly answered. She had wavy, gray hair and black eyes. Her dress was metallic, and her body shape was the pear.

"Yes, girl? What do you need?" Her voice was scratchy.

"Um, do you remember Madison Jayne?" Lagoona asked hopefully.

"Madison...Jayne?" Lagoona nodded.

"Yes ma'am."

"Nope. Can't recall her."

"Listen," Abbey said. "Says here she was in your class. You must know her!"

"I don't. Why do you need to know her anyways?"

"School project," Lagoona answered. "She died, and we need to research her."

"The last ghoul who died here was in 2007," Mrs. Anguish said. "All teachers got an invitation to the funeral, but I'm pretty sure only one came. She was talked about for weeks. But I don't think that's the ghoul you're talking about."

"So do you know Madison? Yes or no?" Abbey said.

"No."

"Okay. We go now."

"Thank you," Lagoona said.

"You're welcome," she said, closing the door behind her.

"Rude," Abbey said. "What teacher does not know of her student?"

"It is odd, but we have six more teachers to ask."

"What is next one?" Lagoona looked down at the schedule in her hands.

"Mad Science with Mrs. Jersea Devil in Room 716."

"Is on same hall. Thank goodness." The duo walked past a few classes to Room 716. When they got there, Abbey knocked loudly on the door. A female with curly, red hair, bright orange eyes, maroon skin, and two wings opened the door.

"Come in! Come in!" She beamed, motioning the girls into the classroom. When they were inside, she sat at her desk and looked up at the two. "What can I help you with?"

"Madison Jayne," Abbey said. "Was student while back. You remember?"

"How far back?" Mrs. Devil asked.

"2007," Lagoona said.

"Then, I don't know her," the teacher said. "I'm sorry for not being a bigger help to you, but-"

"It's fine," Lagoona interrupted. "Sorry for wasting your time."

"You didn't." Lagoona and Abbey let themselves out the room.

"Am curious why teachers not know her," Abbey said. "Do we have wrong schedule?"

"No," Lagoona answered. "It says her name right on the paper. But next is Mr. Ben Ganda in Room 738. He teaches Social Studies."

"Like Baganda! Ha! Fun name! I like."

* * *

Clawdeen turned around and let out a shrill scream. A knife was punctured into the door. The werewolf backed up.

"That was NOT there when we came here."

"What is this place?" Draculaura asked.

"Her bedroom." Draculaura walked towards the bed and sat down as Clawdeen looked in the dusty mirror. Her reflection's skin was paled and has a hint of gray. The eyes were bloodshot and had deep red irises. The hair was dirty and matted, and the clothes were shredded, ripped, and torn. She was frowning. The reflection then put her right pointer finger up to mirror and wrote words that show up through the blood, fog, and dirt. Although the words were backwards, Clawdeen read "Save Yourself." "Draculaura...I think we should leave..."

"Hold on, silly. We just got here." A poster suddenly peeled off the wall. Underneath the poster, there were words written in blood that said "LEAVE OR THEY'LL DROWN YOUR CORPSE." Draculaura fainted, and Clawdeen rushed over to revive her. The door then locked, and Clawdeen whipped her head back to see the lights flicker.

"C'mon, Draculaura," Clawdeen panicked. "Don't leave me alone." She shined the light from her still-recording phone into Draculaura's face. The vampire didn't budge. The bedroom lights went off. The only one that was still on was a black desktop lamp. "Hello? Is anyone there?"

"You ask like it's your house and a guest has come," an unknown voice remarked. "But this is our playground, and you are NOT INVITED!" Chills were sent rolling up the two ghouls' spines, and Draculaura awakened.

"Why'd you turn the lights off?"

"I didn't."

* * *

"Mr. Hack's next," Gil said. "Shouldn't be so bad."

"Dude, he's probably slinging knives everywhere," Deuce countered.

"No, don't be like that. He's probably...working."

Suddenly, the two saw Mr. Hack's door fly open. They peered in through the doorway, and a knife was automatically flung at Gil. However, he dodged it, and it landed in the right eye socket of a skeleton. It was automatically followed by a series of manical laughs.

"Called it."

"Oye!" Mr. Hack shouted. "What are you blokes up to?"

"U-um," Gil stuttered. "We were just wondering what you were like as a teenager?"

"A teenager, aye?" Mr. Hack threw a knife at a black widow, hitting it right in the center of the red hourglass. "I was a gamer. The best of the bunch! My bloodies and I would battle with games. We still do today, although I prefer the board games we used to play back in the old days. Now, it's all fancy gadgets and controllers! Dah! Back in my day, the only controller we needed was a forty-sided dice!" He spit on the floor before continuing. "I was on the Chess Team back then. Had Kindergrubber cheering for me. I definitely liked her back then. Shy, but likable. Pretty ghoul she was." Gil and Deuce looked at each other, then they looked back at Mr. Hack. "We went to the prom in our senior year. I gave her a black rose but just recently found that she still has it."

"So you were a gamer, were on the Chess Team, and liked our Home Ick teacher,' Gil summarized. "What grades did you get?"

"Oye! I don't remember anything other than that they weren't good ones." He cackled, causing Gil to take a step back and Deuce to raise his eyebrows.

"I, uh, think we'll be going now," Gil said, grabbing Deuce by his arm and pulling him out of the classroom. Both walked away from Mr. Hack's class when Gil said, "He spits when he talks," earning a chuckle from the gorgon.

* * *

Frankie and Operetta made it to Music Festival. They walked inside and saw people scattered across the main floor. They also saw a woman with olive green skin, brown hair piled up in a beehive hairdo, brown, concentrating eyes, a white dress with a skirt covered in pink and orange flowers, an orange blazer, and glasses resting on her nose sitting at a desk, staring a computer. Frankie and Operetta stepped up to the counter of the desk. The earthy woman didn't look up, but instead typed on a computer.

"Hello," the secretary- Mrs. Sage- said in a monotone voice. "Welcome to the Music Festival. What can I help you with?"

"Um...hi? I'm Frankie. Frankie Stein."

"Yes, yes. Now what do you need?" She repeated in the same monotone.

"I need you to stop looking at that computer and actually carry on a conversation!" Operetta sassed. "We have an important question for you!" Mrs. Sage looked up at the girls and gave them an agitated glance. "Now, if you wouldn't be so ru-"

"Sorry, but where are the judges?" Frankie interrupted.

"In the practice room," Mrs. Sage said, looking back at her computer to type again.

"Uh, thank you?" Frankie said. "But where is the practice room?" The secretary rolled her eyes.

"Left. Left. Right. Left. Straight down. Right. Right. Fourth door on the left." The two eagerly left the woman alone.

"Man! That woman gets on my last nerve!" Operetta seethed.

"Yes, but you should be polite," Frankie said. "She's helping us, remember?"

"Mmm...hmm..." They turned down the left hall. "I've met hungry tigers nicer than that sack of worms."

"Come on, Retta. Be nice." They turned down the next left hallway. "Hey, think of it this way. You don't have to talk to her again." They turned down the right hallway.

"I shouldn't have had to talk to her with that attitude anyway! I reckon she shoulda been nicer to us!" They skipped the next hallway and turned down the right hall.

"I'll talk to her next time if we have to talk to her again. How does that sound?" They turned right.

"Fine." The teenagers stopped at the fourth door on the left. Frankie knocked on the door.

"It's open!" A voice shouted from the inside. Frankie opened the door and stepped inside, Operetta following behind. The practice room was painted eggshell white and had dark gray tiles covering the floor. Instruments were set up along the perimeter of the room, and there were light gray folding chairs and music stands in the middle of the room facing the front of the room. Also in the front of the room, a conductor's stand and chair faced the empty audience of chairs and stands. On the left wall, there were cases for brass instruments, while on the back wall, the cases for woodwind instruments sat. The right wall was used for percussion instruments, and the wall in the front had guitars, a drum set, a keyboard, and a microphone. Not including Frankie and Operetta, there were three other people in the room. The first was a normie girl who was in her late twenties. She had wavy, blonde hair that reaches her shoulders, tanned skin, and blue eyes. She wore an off-the-shoulder top and light blue skinny jeans. Her open-toed heels were nude and shiny with bows on them. She had fake eyelashes on, as well as bubblegum pink lipstick. She was busy fixing the chairs. The second was a monster ghoul who was in her early hundred and thirties, but looked quite young. She had curly, white hair that was put into a messy bun, but some strands were hanging down on the side of her face. She had white eyes with blue snowflake pupils and periwinkle skin. She wore a strapless, knee-high, ice blue dress that had white sparkles that imitated snow on the skirt and white platform wedges. Her lips were a gray-blue, and her white eyelashes were adorned with snowflakes. She had a crown of snowflakes atop her head and snowflakes and gems on her forehead in a V-shape. She emptied the spit from a trombone. The last was a normie man in his late twenties. He had brown hair and eyes and caucasian skin. He wore a white tee underneath an opened, blue, black, and white plaid button down. The long sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, and the collar was pulled down as well. His jeans were ripped at the knee, and he wore blue and black Nike sneakers. He fixed a broken clarinet. None of the judges looked up. "Hello!" The human girl said in a sing-song voice.

"Uh, hi. I'm Frankie. Frankie Stein," Frankie said, waving towards the figures. The human girl looked up towards the lab creation.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Missy Hampshire."

"Wednesday Barren," the monster woman said, still not looking up. However, the human male did.

"Jacob Parker."

"What can we help you-" Missy was cut off as she gazed towards the purple-skinned monster. "Operetta?!" Wednesday looked up, and she and Jacob also looked towards Operetta.

"I thought you lived in Louisiana," Wednesday commented, surprised that Operetta was there. "Did you move here or are you just visiting?"

"Yeah, I moved. Maybe a year or two ago."

"What a small world..." Jacob said to himself.

"Well, what can I help you two with?" Missy smiled. She walked up to the dry erase board in the front of the classroom. The board had five horizontal lines printed in rows on it. Missy picked up a blue dry erase marker and drew a treble clef and the 4-4 time signature on the lines. She then drew a few circles. Some were colored in, but some weren't. Some had lines, but other didn't. She also wrote a "pp" with a crescendo leading up to a forte, where she put an "f".

"We're trying to look for information," Operetta said.

"On what?" Wendesday asked, putting the trombone back in its case.

"More a who than a what," Frankie said. "Madison." Missy went still and dropped the marker.

"Who?!"

"Madison."

* * *

"Is hopeless," Abbey sighed. "We talk to five teachers and none of them know her."

"Well, Mrs. Goa Lem and Mr. Ali Bahamut were busy, so they probably just wanted us out," Lagoona tried to reason with her.

"Is simple question. Should not be so rude."

'We have two left, but the first is Coach Akuma Oni in Room 103."

"Akuma is "demon" in Japanese," Abbey said.

"You're passing with flying colors in Dead Languages, aren't you, mate?"

"Is interesting class." The two walked to Room 103 on a completely separate hall. The classes on the hall were the arts classes and extra curriculum classes. They entered the gym, where they saw a group of volleyball players practicing with two coaches: a female and a male. "Hey!" The volleyball team all looked towards Abbey. "Coach Akuma Oni! You are needed!" The male coach nodded towards his team and jogged towards the ghouls.

"What am I needed for?"

"Question," the yeti said. "Do you know Madison Jayne?"

"Nope," he said, blowing his whistle. The team stopped practicing. "Now, if you excuse me, I must get back to my team." He jogged off, leaving Lagoona and Abbey behind.

"Is waste of time!" Abbey groaned. "No one knows Madison. We should give up. Of no use."

"C'mon, love!" Lagoona cried. "You can't think like that! We have one teacher left. Ms. Willow Wisp in Room 107. She's the music teacher."

"Lagoona, we ask six teachers. They all say same thing. What make you think last teacher is different?"

"Stop being such a pessimist. I feel this one will be different!" The ghouls headed over to Room 107. Lagoona knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Ms. Wisp shouted. Lagoona opened the door, and she and Abbey entered the classroom. The room was filled with instruments in the back of the room, and chairs in the front. A young teacher stood in the front of the room, erasing the board of the daily reminders. She had light periwinkle skin and long, wavy, white hair that ended above her bottom. Her eyes were crystal blue, and her lips were orchard purple. She wore a white, ruffled dress that ends at the knee. "What can I help you with?"

"Do you know a Madison Jayne?" Lagoona asked, hopeful that just one teacher would know the student.

"Madison Jayne?" Ms. Wisp asks. Lagoona and Abbey bit their lips and looked at the teacher with hopeful eyes. She sighed. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time."

"Finally!" Abbey crowed. "A teacher that knows this ghoul!"

"What do you need to know about her for?"

"Well, miss, we have a project at our school, Monster High, where we need to learn about her," Lagoona answered. Abbey nodded.

"We already know she's related to Viperine and Deuce, but-"

"Deuce?" Ms. Wisp interrupted, her eyes turning sorrowful. "How is he doing?"

"Oh, fine," Abbey answered with a shrug.

"Last time I'd seen him, he was in ninth grade," Ms. Wisp said. "It was a Friday night at about seven o'clock. We had practice after school for the chorale, which was made up of a dozen people after Madison left. He always stayed after later than everyone else. I gave him a teacher-parent conference form before he left for the weekend. The Monday the next week, the school was told there was a huge accident. There were ambulances, cop cars, news vans, and more. And Deuce didn't show up the rest of the year."

"Must've been bad," Lagoona said, curiosity filling her.

"I, uh, I need to tell you something." Abbey and Lagoona looked at each other with confusion.

"What is it?" Lagoona asked.

"Something happened to Deuce within the last month of me seeing him, and I don't know what it was." The duo leaned in with interest. "The entire month of February, he'd seemed different. He was weaker and constantly on alert. He was paler, scrawnier, and had gotten more bruises."

"How'd he get bruises?' Abbey asked. Ms. Wisp put her head in her hands.

"It's my fault. I should've done something, but no one would listen." She took her head out of her hands and quickly wiped her eyes, ignoring Abbey's question. "In the middle of the month, I remember he had marker on his neck. It was a purple dot on his vein," she mumbled. Her breathing became more staggered, and she grabbed the skirt of her dress with her hands and squeezed, trying to calm herself down. "Within the last week of February, he looked better physically. He had less bruising. But he wasn't doing well mentally. He seemed anxious...scared." Her hands squeezed tighter at the dress. "One of our rehearsals was in the morning before school started. He got to the room panicking and panting before passing out within the first two minutes." Her foot started tapping. "It was February 27th. We had chorale rehearsal from four to six. After six, four students stayed: Deuce, Thomas, Gail, and London. They all focused on whatever music they wanted in the practice rooms. They all started leaving until it was seven and Deuce was the only one left. He asked to use the phone in my office. He never did that."

"Do you know who he called?" Lagoona asked.

Ms. Wisp stopped tapping her foot and let go of the dress. She shook her head. "When he finished, I gave him the form. He told me it wasn't the first one he's gotten. I asked if his parents had ever shown up to the the school, and he said only once. He left the classroom and barely a minute later, and I heard a scream. I ran out of the classroom to see blood on the brick wall and a car speeding away." She took a breath, "The janitors have long since cleaned the walls, but the stain is still there. I can still see the blood drip down the wall..." She trailed off, thinking to herself. "I felt horrible. I knew something was wrong. I left for home with a knot of guilt in my stomach. The knot grew bigger and tighter when his cousins came to school. I felt awful about everything."

"Do not let it get you down," Abbey said. "Deuce is fine." The teacher released a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

"Thank you for telling me." She stood up. "Okay, so Madison. What about her do you need to know?"

"Anything school-related," the yeti said.

"Alright. Madison was a student who was neither well known or liked. She and her brother were bullied daily, and no one bothered to remember their real names. They only called them by the nicknames given. B*tch, Whore, Slut, Harlot, and Trailer Park Queen were a few."

"What was Deuce called?" Lagoona asked tentatively.

"Faggot was a huge one. One girl liked Emo Freak. Madison couldn't stand her."

"What did they do wrong that to earn the names?" Abbey asked.

"No one took much of a liking to them, but they heard rumors that both, but mostly Madison, were brought to the bar a few times a week and were...let's say... _taken advantage of_ ," she said slowly.

Lagoona's jaw dropped. "Seriously?"

"Yep," Ms. Wisp nodded. "They were mostly good students, only given detention when they told the teacher something he or she didn't want to hear and when they were bullied. They got all A's." Lagoona and Abbey nodded. "But everyone knew there was something...odd...about them. The way they walked and sat down. The way their eyes would glaze over everyone as if they were looking into their pasts. The way that they'd skip lunch and purposely stay after school to help out to avoid going home. Even their body language! Madison would avoid being touched if it wasn't by someone she knew well and trusted with her life. They tended to stay away from others. People judged them, and they never cared, since it was always them against the world."

"Why do other teachers not know her?" Abbey asked, still confused as to earlier.

"Madison was always a quiet student. However, I noticed when she was comfortable around someone, she opened up to them. Became more outgoing. But she never talked or yelled aloud during classes. She wouldn't raise her hand or ask questions. She only spoke when spoken to, and since none of the other teachers even bothered to talk to her, she was left unknown to the other teachers. They probably only know her by her nicknames."

"Okay. Makes sense."

"One day, in the middle of April, I had noticed Madison didn't come to school, but Deuce had," Ms. Wisp began, taking a breath before continuing. "They would never come to school unless the other had come with them. Only I noticed though, and when I confronted him, he said he didn't want to talk about it yet. I told him it was still open to discussion and let him go. A few days later, he asked to talk to me, and when we went to the music practice room, he started crying and said Madison had died and had told me the date of her funeral. He asked me not to tell anyone, but I told him I'd have to tell the principal. He said that was fine, and that afternoon, I told Mrs. Rosewater. She gathered all the teachers the next morning and told them everything. The only thing she didn't tell them was the one thing I didn't tell her: how Madison died. Deuce told me, but I didn't want to tell them everything- he begged me not to. On the date of the funeral, I was the only teacher who came. It was more crowded than I thought, and there were somewhere around a hundred and fifty cars, and most of the monsters didn't even come in a car. I knew she wasn't well-known. It took me a little while to remember that she and Deuce were Greek, so most to all these monsters were family."

"Was there not a lot of room in the church?" Abbey asked.

"You could say that," Ms. Wisp chuckled. "Many monsters stood up. However, I noticed one thing at the funeral."

"What was that?" Lagoona asked.

"I never seen their father once at the funeral. Madison said her mom was a monster and her father was a normie, but there was one male normie at the funeral. He stayed around two females- a monster and a normie- the entire time. When I asked him, he said he was a judge at Music Festival, and while he treated Madison like a daughter, they weren't related."

"Her father never came?" Lagoona repeated, trailing off. "That's...awful."

"Deuce was next to his mom, aunts, and cousins pretty much the entire time, but another ghoul was with him as well. She looked like a normie. She had brown hair, green eyes, and a flower in her hair. She and Deuce left halfway through the funeral to sit outside."

"Do you know her name?" Lagoona asked.

"I believe it was Calla or Caleen or something. Could be Coleen, but I'm not sure." This earned a nod from Lagoona. "Anyway, Nereid, she was buried next to a line of children, and I believe they were all related. I faintly remember her, Deuce, and their cousins- I believe it was Lamia, Seth, and Viperine if I'm not mistaken- staying after school to help clean up and play a few of the instruments. Anyway, the flowery ghoul at the funeral and a boy with brown hair, ram horns, and goat legs stayed and talked with Madison and her family briefly. I remember them calling the boy Jason. However, on the same row Madison was buried on, there was a boy named Jason who died at eleven years old- the exact age the brown-haired boy was that same year. It could be coincidental, but I'm not sure."

"Any other proof why you think they are related?" Abbey asked.

"When I first met Madison and Deuce, the rest of the class and I thought they were twins. However, they said they started as triplets. When I asked who and where their other triplet was, Madison said she died before she was born. Right beside Madison's grave was a headstone for a ghoul named Ianthe Gorgon, who had one date on her headstone- March 5th, 1994- which is the exact date of Madison and Deuce's birthday."

"So due to these two things, you think everyone on that row was related to her?" Lagoona said, checking just to make sure.

"More than that. Follow me."

* * *

"Now we just need Coach Igor, and then we're finished!" Invisi Billy said.

"I hope he's in the gym," Slo Moe groaned. "I don't exactly want to go on a wild goose chase trying to find him."

"He'll be there." The two teens entered the gym to find Coach Igor blowing his whistle, trying to get the attention of the basketball team. When the coach noticed the two, he walked towards them.

"What would you like, boys?"

"What were you like in high school?" Invisi Billy asked.

"In high school, I was the same handsome, young man I am now," Coach Igor said with a smirk. Invisi Billy and Slo Moe chuckled, but while Slo Moe stifled it, Invisi Billy covered it with a fake cough. Both tried to hide the fact that they clearly thought it was a joke because he was in no means handsome or young. "Those were the days...I had all the ladies since I was a jock. However, I dated Irene Maiden. Lovely ghoul she was. She was snobby and tightly-strung, but sweet and loyal when you truly met her."

Slo Moe groaned, "So you were a jock then, too?"

"Sure was. I played on the football, soccer, baseball, and casketball teams. I may not have been the captain for each sport, but I was one of the best players in each team."

"Has your team ever lost a game?" Invisi Billy asked, already knowing the answer.

"Once, and I couldn't make it to the game that day!" Coach Igor laughed at his own joke, but it quickly turned choking. Once his coughing died down, he continued speaking. "We were the best team out there! No one could beat us!"

"What kind of grades did you get?"

"Let's...change the subject on that one. All you need to know about me is that I was jock, the best of the bunch, a handsome guy, a ladies' manster, and I dated Maiden."

"Well, okay," Slo Moe groaned, curious as to the sudden mood change of the teacher. "Thank you for your time, Coach Igor."

"You're welcome." He turned to the basketball team. "Hey! I never told you to stop!" Invisi Billy and Slo Moe sneaked out of the gym. The second they were out, they burst out laughing.

"I wonder how 'handsome' he was in high school," Invisi Billy laughed.

"Just goes to show things change I guess."

* * *

Draculaura and Clawdeen sat huddled together on Madison and Deuce's bed. A newspaper blew off the desk and under Clawdeen's feet. Clawdeen picked it up, skimming the words.

"What does it say?" Draculaura asked, trying to get her mind off the horror of the room.

"Construction manger cancels the bulldozing job on an abandoned house. Francis Rocks, the construction manger of Gargoyle Works, ends the project the day it starts," Clawdeen read. "Rocks and his employees went to look at an abandoned house a few days before they took it down." Draculaura peered at the newspaper, seeing a picture of the house she and Clawdeen were in. "'When I first saw the house,' Rocks stated, 'it was in horrible condition. Outside the house, there was an unkept garden of roses with wilted flowers and mostly thorns, and there were spiderwebs everywhere we turned. There was an even a large hole that one of my men tripped in. There, he found four bones that belonged to a young child- most likely a monster-normie hybrid. It seemed as if the hole was a temporary grave for the kid.'"

"Was that for Madison?" Draculaura interrupted, horrified.

"That's the only thing I can think of," Clawdeen said. She looked back at the paper. "'The inside of the house was just as untidy,' Rocks continued. 'Broken beer bottles, empty cigarette cases, small glass pipes used to smoke with, and bags of drugs littered the floors every which way. The attic even had a nest of cockroaches!'"

"I feel bad for these men."

"'We had agreed to take the house down three days after. However, the night before our project started, I had a dream that quickly transformed into a nightmare. It started with us bulldozing down the house. After it was all complete, I felt as if something had been released. I had brushed it off. The next day, seventeen people were found missing. I thought it was just coincidental. Then, people started dying with an unexplained cause. Their ages ranged from babies to the elderly. These people were both monsters and normies and were of all species and races. We all just thought it was a terrorist attack. Planes started crashing, killing hundreds of people, and buildings were being burnt down. Normies and monsters were both homeless and unemployed. Everyone who was left realized it wasn't a terrorist attack after natural disasters happened. Tornadoes and storms took care of what the fires and planes didn't get. There was then too much heat and Sun and not enough water, causing a drought. At the end of one day, millions of people had died. I then saw eleven children on the foundation of the house. They were all about fifteen years old. The first was a boy was side swept caramel hair, angel wings, and a halo. The second was a red-skinned ghoul with straight, black hair and bangs. The third was a ghoul with curly, blonde hair and large, blue fairy wings. The fourth and fifth both looked like normies. The fourth was a ghoul with long, wavy blonde hair and a blue skirt. The fifth was a ghoul with black, wavy hair and a red tee with black skinny jeans. A boy with brown hair, horns, and furry legs was sixth, and a ghoul with horns and brown hair was seventh. Two ghouls were twins. They had green snakes and corsets on. The tenth was a ghoul who had wavy, blue hair and horns, and the last was a blonde boy with horns and furry legs. I knew right then that they were all dead. They lived in this house, and I had taken it away. They were getting revenge for me destroying their place. The next day, I cancelled the project. I told my men that we couldn't destroy this house- even if it was unfit for living. There were no kidnaps, unidentified deaths, plane crashes, burnt buildings, tornadoes, storms, and droughts the next day.'"

"Whoa..." Draculaura marveled.

"'I truly think those kids gave me the nightmare to tell me not to burn down that house. It was their way of stopping me from taking it away.' When asked if Rocks thought that if he had destroyed the house, if he would think that everything would happen, he answered, 'Of course everything would happen. Now, I'm not a superstitious man, but I truly know we didn't destroy for the better.'"

"That's why they kept this house up," Draculaura trailed off.

"Where is he?!" An unknown voice yelled.

"W-where are w-who?" Clawdeen stuttered, her usual confidence completely disappearing. The spirit let out a high pitched, shrill scream of terror, and a mirror broke. "We need to get out of here!" Clawdeen jumped off the bed and hurried to the window that had planks covering the outside. It wouldn't budge, and upon further inspection, the wolf realized it was nailed shut. She grabbed Draculaura's arm and pulled her out of the room and down the stairs. She stepped on a pile of glass shards, but even as they got lodged in her shoe, she kept running. When they got out of the house, Clawdeen stopped recording the video, and the two ghouls stopped running once they got to the end of the street. She called a cab, which picked them up shortly, and they drove back to her house.

* * *

"Uh..." Jackson said, lost in thought, "probably just some sort of mix-up." Clawd played with the tab on the can of his Coke.

"That's no mix-up," Clawd mumbled.

"Just," Jackson sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Can you type the notes?"

"All of the names?"

"Just his children. Say how many people he killed, but you don't have to be specific." Clawd nodded and took notes of the names, constantly looking up at Jackson's laptop to copy the names.

"Hold on," Clawd said when he finished. "You never answered me. What about Ianthe?" Jackson shrugged.

"I guess since she was a stillborn, they never counted it."

"Are we done?" Clawd asked. "I can't handle this much longer. I just...wanna punch a wall."

"Yeah," Jackson nodded. "We're done."

"Finally!" Clawd downed the rest of his Coke and smashed the aluminum can in his bare hands. "I want to kill them both."

* * *

"Madison Gorgon," Jacob said. "How long had it been? Three years? Four?"

"Actually it's, uh, Madison Jayne," Frankie corrected.

"Madison Jayne?" Missy mumbled to herself in thought. After a moment, she spoke in a normal, clear volume, "Oh, right! I forgot her parents were divorced."

"Just to make sure," Wednesday said, "you're talking about the beautiful ghoul with green snakes for hair and emerald eyes, right?"

"That's the one," Frankie nodded.

"Okay."

"What about her?" Jacob asked.

"Any information about her," Frankie asked. She had a feeling that these three adults knew her well and coming here was a good idea.

"Well, let's start with when we first met her," Missy began. "She was roughly tall for her age and very thin. Jacob automatically hated her."

"I did not _hate_ them," Jacob said.

"Yes, you did," Wednesday agreed with Missy.

"You disliked them due to their age, when we all know there was no age limit to the competition," Missy informed Jacob.

"We'd never had anyone that young who had performed," Jacob said, filling in Operetta and Frankie. "The youngest before them was ten, and he was an attention hog who didn't care for music and wanted to fool around. Needless to say, it definitely ruined it for me."

"Her and her brother were six at the time," Missy continued. "Both were lanky, but Madison had a grace about her that many people- monsters and humans alike- did not have. Her singing was much better than anyone else's that we'd ever heard inside and outside of Music Festival- even at her young age. It was elegant, audacious, auspicious, and would send chills running up and down your spine."

"And unlike others' voices, it appealed to the audience's emotions," Wednesday added. "The music, the lyrics, and her voice would mix to create a changing piece."

"From that day on," Jacob said, "they'd come to each competition, which was held on the first Saturday of February. And they impressed us even more each time."

"And they wrote all the songs themselves. The first song they sang was..." Wednesday trailed off, racking her mind trying to remember the title of a song she'd heard a decade ago.

"'Field of Innocence' was what they named it," Missy said.

"Oh, yes, Wednesday said, immediately remembering, "There was one section where it sounded like someone- could've been Maddie, but it wasn't- started singing in Latin."

"In 'Where Will You Go,' the end was the best part, where Deuce's and Madison's voices combined when they sang two different parts," Jacob said.

"'Good Enough' had an end that just made you think," Missy said. "It ranged from, 'I'm lucky to be me,' and 'I want to go out and help.' It was so different and strange, but in a good way."

"'October' was one of my favorites," Jacob said. "It was like there was someone singing alongside Madison in the chorus. Madison sang one thing, when someone else sang something completely different."

"'Lose Control' had a sense of mysterious beauty. It was if Madison was hiding something beneath the lyrics," Missy said.

"But she was," Jacob interjected.

"We didn't know that at the time," Missy said. "We didn't know until the competition after Madison died."

"Anyway, like 'Lose Control', 'The Last Song I'm Wasting on You' had many hidden meanings as well," Wednesday said, trying to get off the subject.

"Like what?" Frankie asked.

"For example, some of the lyrics were, 'Sickened in the sun, you dare tell me you love me. But you held me down and screamed you wanted me to die.'" Frankie looked into Jacob's brown eyes, trying to find anything that quenched her curiosity.

"How do they have hidden meanings?"

"We'll tell you after the songs," Wednesday said simply.

"Okay."

"'Missing' had whispering that didn't sound like it came from Madison. Like someone else," Missy said. Wednesday scoffed.

"You mention the whispering but not the fact that the song made you feel gross and dirty, like you needed to take a shower after hearing it." Missy rolled her eyes.

"'Hero' was the first time we'd heard Deuce actually sing a lead section for the competition," Jacob said, moving on. "He sang for backup before, but it was always quiet. This time, he did a duet with Madison."

"'Snow White Queen' took place in a bar and was probably the most emotional of all the competitions for Madison. She had an anxiety attack on the stage. She was crying, shaking, and panicking. But somehow, she made it through the song," Wednesday continued.

"We all panicked though at the end of the song," Missy said. "We were standing next to a man with brown hair and green eyes. At the end of the song, he cursed loudly and went backstage. We found him in the back minutes later asking for Madison and Deuce.

"We lied and said we didn't know where they were," Jacob said.

"Which was probably for the better."

"'Not Gonna Die' was very well-executed," Wednesday said. "It was like all of them poured their heart and soul into that one song."

"'What I Believe' was just as good, if not better. It was more of a 'if-we-go-down-we-go-down-with-a-bang' kind of song. They weren't going to lose without a fight, and they knew it," Missy said. "It felt like everyone was cheering for them. The youngest ones would make the biggest impact, and everyone would want to say 'I cheered for them' or 'I was on their side.' It was definitely something to think about. The ratio of people who were for New York- or Boo York, whatever monsters call it- to Oregon was absolutely insane." Operetta nodded.

"I didn't know a single person who actually voted for Boo York to win," Operetta agreed, remembering their performance.

"No one did," Wednesday said. "Well, except that ghoul's family. It was the only reason they 'tied' anyway. Her daddy was the head judge."

"We all knew it wasn't fair. Thankfully, we had this one," Missy stopped to pat Jacob's back. "to help them out. He, along with the other judges, convinced the head judge to make it a vote."

"First, he refused," Jacob recalled. "But there was an uproar, and he changed it to not make himself look bad."

"Okay, what about the hidden messages?" Frankie asked, trying to get the answers that she'd desired earlier.

"Well, when we went to New York for the national competition, each state divided the sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, altos, tenors, baritones, and basses from each state into two groups," Missy began. "They could choose who was in each group. For us, Madison and Deuce were in one group, and Lamia and Seth were in the other. Wednesday and Viperine watched Seth and Lamia from hidden cameras in each room. Jacob and I watched Deuce and Madison from another room. One day, each group was allowed to video chat with family and friends. They get one...uh...group? One person, one large group. They get one time. One chance to talk to someone important in their lives."

"The only thing was that competitors could not choose who they video-chatted with," Wednesday added.

"And let's just say that Deuce and Madison were not in the least bit happy to find out they were talking to their dad," Missy sighed. "There was yelling, cursing, screaming, name-calling, and their father even shot at his computer screen."

"Oh my ghoul!" Frankie cried.

"We realized that everything that they sang actually was about their life," Jacob noted. "Losing all innocence and forgetting what it felt like to be a child. Telling their father that he can't go on a day without making someone feel worthless, and he needs to stop hurting himself, so he stops hurting others. Realizing they will never be good enough for anyone. Knowing that through everything, they always have to go home and take what's waiting for them without complaining. How they want to just lose control and forget everything-all the abuse- ever happened. Telling their father that they've found a way to handle the abuse and pain. Thinking that no one cares if they died. Telling everyone that they needed help, but never got any. Knowing they are powerless and more like their father than they thought. Staying alive after each day. And not giving up on each other and the rest of the world." Jacob sighed. "Each song had a snippet of their reality." Wednesday nodded.

"But we didn't realize that until it too late."

* * *

"Guess I'll just do this bloody project without her! If she doesn't want to help, her grade can and will suffer," Scarah grumbled to herself. She caught sight of Irene Maiden walking down the hall, and she immediately hurried up the teacher. "Hello, Mrs. Maiden! What a lovely day we're having, don't you agree?"

"Ah, yes," Mrs. Maiden agreed. "Storm clouds above us."

"So Mrs. Maiden, is it possible that I could know what you were like in your teenage years?" The teacher laughed.

"Now, Miss Screams, I don't want to bore you with my high school years."

"Oh, but I insist!"

"Well, alright," the teacher said with a smile. "I was the Cleo de Nile of my high school. The snobby, uptight queen bee. It was perfect or pointless back then. If I didn't get my way, heads would roll."

"That does sound like Cleo," Scarah agreed.

"I was the captain of the fearleading team as well. The typical "mean fearleader." I had my reasons though. If they couldn't accept it, then forget them. However, I had a lovely boyfriend back then. He was very sweet, but protective as well."

"He was the Deuce to your Cleo?"

"I guess if that's what you want to call it," Mrs. Maiden said.

"Who was your boyfriend?"

"Who you know as Coach Igor."

Scarah choked on the air. "Coach Igor?!"

"That's right," Mrs. Maiden laughed. "However, he was so...narcissistic! We stayed together through high school, but once college came rolling along, I broke it off. There was no way I was going to be with a guy who thought that he himself was better-looking than his ghoulfriend. Probably why Igor never got a wife."

"That isn't right for a manster to do that," Scarah mumbled.

"Exactly what I thought too!"

"So what kind of grades did you get?" Scarah changed the subject.

"Usually B's."

"Anything else important you need to tell me?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Alright, thank you for your time, Mrs. Maiden."

"You're welcome. It was no big deal," the teacher said with a smile. She then continued down the hall to her destination again.

"Now, off to the others!" Scarah smiled.

* * *

Ghoulia clicked on the first video. It began playing.

The scene began in Madison and Deuce's room. The room was pitch black, except a small line of light coming from an open door behind the camera. Lamia, who was holding the camera, walked towards the bed. Cleo and Ghoulia saw that Deuce and Madison were in the bed sleeping. If you looked at the bed where the footboard is closer to you than the headboard, Deuce was on the right side of the bed and Madison was on the left. Deuce laid on his back, and Madison laid on her side with her head and right hand on Deuce's chest.

"Good morning," Lamia said in the video, the early hour not fazing her in the slightest. Deuce groaned and flipped over onto his stomach. He then buried his face into his pillow as Madison sat up.

"What do you want, Lamia?" She asked, her voice drowsy from sleepiness.

"I have received a camera to record your movements and embarrass you with them until the day you die."

"Mmm...That's nice," Deuce answered, his deep voice becoming lower and inarticulate.

"So anytime you do anything stupid, it will be recorded," Lamia pushed.

"Why couldn't this have waited?" Madison grumbled.

"I felt the need to tell you."

"Okay," Madison said, getting off the bed and walking towards her cousin. "You told us. Now get out." She put her hand in front of the camera and covered the screen, causing Cleo and Ghoulia to only see Madison's hand. The video then stopped.

"Deuce sounds adorable with a sleepy voice," Cleo said. Ghoulia rolled her eyes.

"He said two words."

"It was still adorable." Ghoulia clicked on the next video, which started in a pink room at a desk with a mirror that has lightbulbs bordering it. Madison sat in a chair, facing Viperine, and Lamia was recording. The boys were nowhere to be found. Viperine curled Madison's eyelashes as Madison looked at a clock nearby.

"Where the hell did they go?" She asked, panicking a bit on the inside.

"No idea," Lamia answered. "I heard Seth rambling that Missy told everyone to get dresses. You know how he is. It probably relates."

"We're leaving soon," Madison sighed. "I hope they realize that." A woman in an orange shirt and jeans came up to the trio. She had three dresses in her arms. She laid them down carefully on the back of a chair before leaving. "Are those the custom ones?" She looked towards them without turning her head. "The ones for the awards ceremony?"

"Yep," Viperine said, dusting highlighter on Madison's cheekbones.

"Yes!" Lamia cheered. She put the camera down on the desk, but it is angled so that the audience can still see. The first dress was a sapphire blue dress with a skirt that ended at the ankles. The torso and sleeves were nude, but at the bottom of the sleeves and chest piece, there were little, brown trees decorated with many blue beads. Below the chest piece, but above the skirt, there was a sapphire blue belt that was shaped like an hourglass on its side in the front. The second dress was strapless, cotton candy pink and had a sweetheart top. The torso was covered in many, white rhinestones. The last dress was black and red with a sweetheart top. It had a red corset with a black, floral arabesque pattern on it. The skirt was crushed velvet. The first layer of the skirt was black. The layer underneath that was red, and the layer underneath that was also black. The skirt was floor length in the back, but exposed most of the wearer's legs in the front. The sleeves were low and exposed the shoulders, but they were black and frilly. There were also silver chains connected to these sleeves.

"Wait, should we put them on now?" The gorgon with pink snakes asked.

"I'm not waiting," Lamia declared, reaching for the blue dress on top. Viperine finished fixing up Madison's face before grabbing her own dress and handing Madison the black and red one. Lamia turned the camera so that the camera couldn't record the girls changing, and Viperine closed the curtains. They stripped out of their clothes and into the dresses. "Gods, ghoul! Don't you eat?!"

"Shut the f*ck up," Madison responded. "I'm not in the mood."

"Moody," Viperine mumbles.

Lamia scoffed. "B*tchy."

"Nosy," Madison shot back. "I'll eat what I want when I want it. No more."

"You wonder why regular clothes don't fit you!" Viperine cried.

"Oh, no. I don't wonder. I already know," Madison shrugged. "It's fine though. I like corsets though. It's creepy and gives me a haunted look. I like my style, Mrs. I-wear-booty-shorts-so-short-that-you-can-see-my-whole-a*s-so-I-can-get-dudes-to-hump-me." Viperine laughed as a small smack was heard. Lamia moved the camera, so Cleo and Ghoulia could see the trio. Viperine twirled around in a circle, smiling giddily. Then, all three ghouls looked in the same direction. Madison covered her mouth, laughing at whatever she was looking at. Viperine laughed as well, and Lamia hurried over to the two figures.

"Oh my gods!" She laughed. "Look how beautiful you are!" Seth and Deuce came into the screen up to the ghouls. Seth wore a sleeveless, sky blue, mermaid style dress with a sweetheart top and a belt of white rhinestones. The back had extra fabric, making the dress look full. Lamia walked up to Seth and wrapped her arms around his torso and laid her head on his chest. Seth wrapped her in his left arm and rubbed her back.

"So," Madison laughed. "How do you feel?"

"I feel like a freaking princess," Seth said.

"Why are you...wearing a dress?!" Viperine asked incredulously.

"Missy said we _all_ have to wear dresses," Seth answered. "So we did. Well," he glared at Deuce. " _I_ did." Deuce laughed in return.

"I have dignity," he shot back. "Unlike you."

"Why?" Madison asked herself. "Why is this a normal thing for us?"

"Alright," Seth said. "I'm gonna go get me some tits." Viperine choked on the air.

"Wait, what?!" She squeaked.

"Imma find me some fake breast enhancers."

"There were silicone ones somewhere around here when we first came in," Lamia said, looking around the room. Seth found them unopened on a shelf.

"Found 'em. Now, how the hell do I-" Lamia ripped the package from Seth's hands and opened them. She pulled out the circular pieces of silicone and pulled out the top of Seth's dress. She inserted them into the built-in bra of his dress, then put the dress back to normal. Seth looked down. He touched his chest, smiling.

"I love them," he said, raising his eyebrows and smiling. Madison smacked Seth playfully on the arm.

"You're such a dude!"

"Hey, do you mind getting my makeup bag?" Viperine asked the boys. Seth raised one of his eyebrows.

"But it's right there." He pointed to a makeup bag sitting on the desk.

"No, the other one. It's black. It's in yours and Lamia's practice room." Seth stared at her as if she grew another head. "Ghouls will often have more than one makeup bag." Seth shook his head, as if he was just accepting it.

"Sure," he said. He slapped Deuce's chest, and they both raced out of the room. However, a yard away from the ghouls, Seth tripped on the dress and landed face-first. However, he stood back up and continued to run.

"Why do we have these two out of all the boys in the world?" Viperine asked her cousins when the boys were out of the room.

"Admit it," Madison laughed. "Your life would be sh*t without them."

"Admitted," Lamia said, twisting a black mamba around a pale finger.

"Yes, I also admit it," Viperine said. "Life would be a lot boring, but-" Yelling was heard from down the hall. Seconds later, Deuce and Seth returned to the ghouls, a black bag in Deuce's hands.

"Dude, you missed it!" Deuce laughed as he tossed Lamia the bag.

"What happened?" Lamia asked, catching the bag easily.

"First, there was a woman who looked at us like we were freaks. And Seth..." He trailed off, letting Seth finish the story. Seth smiled and chuckled.

"I yelled, 'You're just jealous 'cause I can pull off this dress better than you ever could and my tits are better than yours!'" Madison busted out laughing.

"No, you did not!"

"He really did!" Deuce laughed.

"And on the way back," Seth continued, "there was a ghoul who pulled up her dress, and- oh my gods. She had a freaking penis. Not even joking on that one."

"She wasn't a drag queen or anything," Deuce said. "She just-"

"Thank you for getting my bag!" Viperine said, quickly trying to change the subject. "And thank gods I told you to get it."

"Alright, I'm taking this off now," Seth said.

"I thought you liked it," Madison said.

"I do, but I'm also starting to sweat." He tried to pull the dress over his head, but to no avail. He tried to push it down to step out of it, but that didn't work either. He turned his head and attempted to look at his back. "Is there a zipper or something?" Lamia looked at his back.

"Nope."

Seth tried to get out of the dress once more, but he couldn't get out. "Oh gods," he said, panicking. "Go get the scissors!"

"We're not getting scissors," Madison said, walking over to her cousin.

"Fine," he said. "At least help me out of this f*cking dress." Deuce tried to help Seth out of the dress but only managed to get the top down to his waist.

"Lay down," Deuce said. Seth complied and laid down on the floor. Deuce looked up. "Dude, where is your underwear?"

"In the hotel."

"Did you even put any on this morning?" Madison asked.

"Hell no. That sh*t's confining. My balls need to breathe."

"Oh my gods." Lamia said, kneeling next to her brother. "Deuce, pull the right side up." Deuce did as he was told and pulled up the dress. Lamia pulled up the left side, and the camera shut off, the video stopping.

"I just wonder sometimes," Cleo said after a moment of silence.

"We're entering danger territory," Ghoulia groaned. "Do you want to move to the next folder?"

"Might as well," Cleo said. Ghoulia clicked on the "Music" folder and then the first video. The video began with Deuce, Madison, Lamia, and Seth sitting on a gray couch, staring up at the camera.

"This is your third interview," A voice behind the camera said. It was a man no older than twenty-five or twenty-six.

"Yeah, we're getting some practice," Seth nodded.

"How are you enjoying Music Festival so far?" The man said.

"This is completely life-changing," Madison grinned. "Everything about this experience has been exceptional."

"And you've gotten quite far considering how young you are," the man said.

"Don't jinx it, Ryan," Seth said jokingly.

"But really, how old are you?" The man- Ryan- said to the group.

"Under the age of consent, so don't get any ideas," Deuce said. The group laughed, and Deuce smiled, "Nah, I'm just playing. Lamia is fourteen, and we're thirteen."

"What do you think makes it so that you've gotten way farther than the other groups- groups that are way older than you all and with way more experience? Like, is there something about you that makes you different than other bands? Something you have that other bands don't. Okay, this is some horrible phrasing. What makes you guys f*cking awesome?"

"Probably the fact that we're f*cking awesome," Lamia said simply. "That's all I can really think of anyway."

"Fair enough," Ryan laughed. "Use three adjectives to describe Lamia."

"What the hell is an adjective?" Seth mumbled.

"Like big, small," Madison said.

"Oh, okay. Short. Is short an adjective?"

"Yeah, there's one," Ryan said.

"Dynamic?" Deuce offered.

"Maybe...crude," Madison added.

"Alright, three to describe Madison. But this time, negatively," Ryan said. Deuce laughed, and Madison glared at him.

"Watch yourself," she said. "We share a room."

"Okay, fine, stubborn," Deuce said.

"Crass," Lamia said.

"You can definitely be offensive. But it's funny, so I don't know if that would be negative," Seth rambled.

"Three to describe Deuce sexually," Ryan laughed. Deuce put his face in his hands and laughed.

"Under the age of consent, remember?" He said into his hands.

"Powerful," Lamia laughed. Deuce took his face out of his palms, revealing a red face, but he laughed along with her.

"Why powerful?"

"I'm trying to be clean."

"How about abundant?" Seth added. Deuce laughed harder, turning more and more red.

"Raunchy," Madison said. Deuce couldn't contain himself as he guffawed, but this time Lamia, Seth, and Ryan joined in.

"Raunchy," Seth repeated, laughing. "That's my favorite."

"Alright," Ryan said trying to catch his breath, "Three to describe the way Seth plays his drums."

"Powerful, abundant, and raunchy!" Madison interjected. The group bust out laughing again.

"I can't do this with you guys," Ryan said. "Alright, who in this group are doms and who are subs?"

"Well!" Lamia turned to look at Deuce, who turned red once more. He laughed as she continued staring at him, "Deuce, would you like to answer that?" Deuce laughed harder as Lamia looked back towards Ryan and the camera. "This one's submissive."

"I'm not submissive," Deuce laughed.

"Yes, he is," Madison agreed with Lamia. "He's got a need to be dominated." Deuce laughed harder.

"No, I don't."

"Don't believe him," Lamia said. "But as for the rest of us, I can go both ways."

"Same," Madison nodded.

"I think I'm more on the dominant side," Seth said with a smirk. "It's not something I usually think about though."

"Okay," Ryan laughed. "An apocalypse happens. Where is your hideout?"

"Maybe..." Madison thought, "Maybe somewhere with a lot of land. Like a forest or something."

"But that's how you get yourself killed quickest!" Deuce exclaimed.

"Okay, smart guy," she said, "where would you go?"

"Walmart," Deuce answered. "They've got everything there. Need food? It's covered. Water? Same. Guns? Ammo? Got that too. It's perfect."

"That's true," Seth said, turning towards Deuce and pointing his index finger at him. "That's very true."

"I'm staying with Deuce when the apocalypse comes," Lamia said. "He knows what he's doing."

"On a more serious side, Deuce and Madison." The siblings looked Ryan. "You've both had one of your songs leaked." Deuce nodded. "Deuce, you had 'Eternally Yours' and Madison, you had 'You.'" Suddenly, the video changed scenes. It changed to a view of Madison playing piano.

"The words have been drained from this pencil," Madison sang, her fingers dancing along the piano's keys. "Sweet words that I want to give you. And I can't sleep. I need to tell you." She took a breath. "Goodnight. When we're together, I feel perfect. When I'm pulled away from you, I fall apart. All you say is sacred to me. Your eyes are so gray. I can't look away. As we lay in the stillness, you whisper to me." She stopped playing the piano for a moment. "Promise you'll stay with me." She continued playing the piano as her voice immediately got stronger and more powerful. "Oh, you don't have to ask me. You know you're all that I live for. You know I'd die just to hold you. Stay with you. Somehow I'll show you that you are my night sky. I've always been right beside you. Now, I'll be right beside you." She stopped singing and just played the piano for a moment. Then, the music became slower, as did her voice. "So many nights I cried myself to sleep. Now that you love me, I love myself. I never thought I would say this. I never thought there'd be," she stopped playing and took a breath, "You." She played the piano once more, getting quieter as the song ended. Suddenly, the scene flipped again, it was only Deuce in his practice room. He had his guitar, but other instruments were already recorded on a device. He hit play and played guitar with as the device began playing music he'd already recorded.

"Blow the bridge to the past. Wipe the fingerprints. Melt your heart encased in wax. Steal it with a kiss." His voice was rough as he screamed. "Our fate engraved, scar enslaved, as we mutually destruct. Repose, my love, I've sinned enough for the both of us." He took a breath before screaming an inaudible "in the name of love." Suddenly, the switch flipped. "I'm ready to bury all of my bones. I'm ready to lie but say I won't." His voice was deep and smooth like melted butter, but it was clear as glass unlike before. "So tell me your secrets and join me in pieces to rot in this garden made of stones. Eternally yours." He went back to screaming. "I feed like you taught me and selflessly swallow. We coalesce in darkness, so selfishly hollow. Examine the wreckage. Writhing in tempo. Invisible anguish casting a shadow." Like before, the "and in the name of love" wasn't clear enough to be understood. He changed again, singing the chorus. "I'm ready to bury all of my bones. I'm ready to lie but say I won't. So tell me your secrets and join me in pieces to rot in this garden made of stones. Eternally yours." He yelled, "As we rest in pieces, though I know not your name, I would suffer forever to absolve all of your pain." The music became less aggressive as he sang softly yet powerfully, emotions swirling through the lyrics. "And in the name of love." Cleo felt herself melt.

"Oh my Ra."

"I'm ready to bury all of my bones. I'm ready to lie but say I won't. So tell me your secrets and join me in pieces to rot in this garden made of stones. Eternally yours. I'm ready to bleed to make amends and sleep in this dirt we call our bed. So tell me your secrets and join me in pieces to fall and rewrite the bitter end. Eternally yours." He continued playing guitar. He screamed, "I'm more than willing to rot in hell with you." The scene flipped for the last time, going back to the interview with the four Gorgons on the gray couch.

"Do you want to talk about that?" Ryan asked, the video picking up where it left. The siblings looked at each other before Madison looked back at the Ryan.

"We don't write music to entertain people. We perform music and make music videos and all that for their entertainment, but we write for us." She looked at her fingers as she played with her hands in her lap. "Only about sixty percent of what we write makes it out. The other forty is private and personal. Half of the forty we share with the other, but the other half is completely private, and no one knows it exists. And we respect that." She looked back at the interviewer. "It's truly a shame that some people don't share that some level of minimal privacy and respect."

"There's a fine line when it comes to writing music," Deuce said. "You want it to be personal, but if it gets too personal, it can get weird and uncomfortable. So the super personal stuff, we keep to ourselves." And he stopped for a moment, trying to think of what to say before continuing slowly. "I didn't know Madison's song existed, and she didn't know about mine. That was how we wanted to keep it, and then someone thought they could get away with exposing our music. It wasn't right, and I would like to know who leaked the music. But there's really nothing you can do at this point. Everyone's already heard it, especially since our music gets listened to a lot around here. But it does make me upset, since I'm not hiding it because I don't like it or think it's not worthy of an audience; I hide it because it's private. It's for me and me only. And that's what people don't understand."

"So I'm guessing you wouldn't be willing to share the meaning of the songs with us," Ryan concluded. Both shook their heads.

"I can't do it," Madison said. "It's not meant for an audience, so I won't give them any information about it. I don't want to seem rude but-"

"But it's not something we necessarily want the whole building to know," Deuce finished. The video went off, and Ghoulia sat up as straight as a zombie could.

"Do you want to move to the next video?" She asked.

"No," Cleo said, still thinking about Deuce's song. "I think...I think we're done here."

* * *

"Time to share!" Scarah said to her group, who were all gathered in Monster High's student lounge. "If you didn't help out, leave now." She glared at Toralei and Spectra, who left grudgingly. No one noticed Manny biting his nails or Heath shaking.

"Alright," Robecca smiled. "I have my notes already typed thanks to my handy-dandy typewriter. I'll add all the other notes in the same parchment." Everyone nodded, except Manny and Heath. "Should I read you my notes as well?"

"Go ahead, Robecca," Gil said.

"Well, Headless Headmistress Bloodgood was an All A's peacemaker. She often volunteered for helping the community and never had time for a boyfriend. Mr. Where was a drama fanatic. He and his group of friends- Natalia, Ella, and Hayden- all enjoyed drama class, and all were in the drama club. Mr. Where, like Bloodgood, didn't date."

"Thank you, Robecca," Scarah said.

"Should we go next?" Gil asked.

"Go ahead," Robecca nodded.

"Mr. Hack was a gamer. He'd round up his bloodies for game nights and would constantly win. He was on the Chess Team. He liked Mrs. Kindergrubber." Robecca quickly typed the information as Gil spoke.

"Speaking of Mrs. Kindergrubber," Deuce said, "she was an art nerd, who also liked Mr. Hack. Mrs. Kindergrubber was a shy ghoul in the Art Club. Hack and Kindergrubber went to prom together." Robecca typed that in too.

"Thank you both," she cheered. "Next!"

"Coach Igor was a jock on the football, casketball, baseball, and soccer team," Invisi Billy said. "His team lost one game, but that was it. Coach Igor also said he was the best jock on the team- which we don't know how accurate that is, and he dated Irene Maiden." Robecca typed the information Invisi Billy told her.

"And Rotter?" Scarah asked.

"Mr. Rotter was a class clown with overly large hair that stuck straight up. He failed to impress teachers, but impressed students due to making them laugh. He was in no clubs, and he wasn't in a relationship," Slo Moe groaned. Robecca nodded and typed the information in.

"Who's next?"

"I'll go next," Scarah said. "I had Mr. Zarr and Mrs. Maiden. Mr. Zarr was an All A student on the Math Club, Science Club, Academic Team, and Chess Team. He was a nerd and would be bullied. He'd often have to do some bullies' homework, but he was proud that he was an All A student." Robecca typed the information, her metal fingers clinking against the typewriter. "Mrs. Maiden was the captain of the fearleading team. She was stuck up, snobby, uptight, and-"

"Cleo?" Invisi Billy joked. He was rewarded with laughs from everyone except Deuce. Even Manny and Heath laughed, although it was done nervously.

"Yes," Scarah laughed. "She dated Coach Igor, but they broke up in college due to him being narcissistic."

"Grades?" Slo Moe groaned.

"B's." Robecca typed the information, then she turned towards Meowlody and Purrsephone.

"Alright, werecat twins. It's your turn."

"Mr. Fenderbender got all A's and B's, and he was a teacher's pet. Often called Goody-Two-Shoes, he somehow managed to get a ghoulfriend. He was also on the casketball team," Meowlody said. Robecca was about to type when Scarah put her hand on Robecca's right arm. Robecca received the hint and didn't type.

"Dr. Clamdestine was a jock with low C's and D's. He also had a ghoulfriend who was a blonde bombshell," Purrsephone added.

"Well, that's it. We're going to the Coffin Bean," Meowlody purred.

"We'll-meow... _cat_ ch you later," her sister said. They laughed to themselves as they exited. The second the door shut, Scarah turned to face her group.

"They're lying!"

"What?" Invisi Billy questioned, already knowing the answer.

"They lied about the entire thing! In their mind, it felt like they were flipping cards."

"Well, then what's the real information?" Robecca asked. Scarah closed her eyes and put her fingers to her temples. After a few moments, she put her fingers down and opened her eyes.

"Dr. Clamdestine was a prep who thought he was too good for ghouls."

"Yay," Deuce said sarcastically. "Another narcissistic teacher."

"I know, right?" Invisi Billy agreed.

"Mr. Fenderbender was a stoner who skipped class, was always in detention, and got D's and F's. He'd start fights and never had a date."

"Are you sure this is the real information?" Robecca said cautiously.

"Positive." Robecca nodded, trusting the mind reader, and typed the real information. Gil looked towards Manny and Heath.

"How about you two?"

Heath nervously laughed. "Uh...heh, heh?"

* * *

Ms. Wisp lead Lagoona and Abbey to the main hallway. Without turning to look at the girls, she said, "Mrs. Anguish and I were supposed to clean out her locker, but we felt as if we shouldn't when we saw what was inside." She turned down the seventh grade hallway, and the other two followed suit. She stopped halfway down the hall and knelt onto the floor in front of a bottom locker with the number '7293' engraved on a small sheet of metal on the front. The locker was covered in black Sharpie with the words "b*tch," "slut," "emo," and "whore" written on the door.

"Why has no one cleaned this?" Abbey snarled.

"Janitors tried- lazily so, but they tried," Ms. Wisp said, putting in the combination '12-26-4' in and opening the graffitied locker door opened. Inside, there was a shelf and many things filling the locker. There were many pictures of kids of all monster species that all looked similar. There were also textbooks, a case of reeds, valve oil, and mouthpieces for trumpet, french horn, baritone, and tuba. An old book with a leather binding also sat on the shelf. This book was filled with pages of music, which included tab, chords, lyrics, and music notes on measures. Below the shelf, the bottom of the locker was littered with six bullet shells, a pocketknife, four metal nails, and a wilted violet.

"There were as many graves in the row as there are children in this picture," Ms. Wisp broke the silence, pointing to the picture of Madison, her brother, her half siblings, and her- at the time- soon-to-be stepsisters. "However, Deuce and the flowery ghoul hadn't died yet, so there'd be two more monsters missing in this picture. I believe it was the last triplet and another who died before the picture was taken.

"Other students would write on her locker daily. They'd say it was to 'prove where her place was.' It was unnecessary, but still an example of how the students hated her."

"Any more information about her and school?" Abbey asked.

"None that would be useful to you," Ms. Wisp said.

"Thank you so much," Lagoona said.

"You're welcome," Ms. Wisp smiled, standing up, and walked back to her classroom, leaving the two ghouls. Lagoona took a picture of the front and back of her locker door, not to mention recorded the inside. She shut the locker door.

"Alright. Let's go, Abbey."

* * *

"What do you mean you don't have the information?" Deuce exasperated.

"We may have..." Heath trailed off, "lost track of the time."

"You've had a week and a half!" Invisi Billy shouted.

"Only!" Manny bellowed.

"You had one job!" Gil shouted. "One!"

"And only one teacher!" Scarah added angrily.

"This really grinds my gears!"

"We've already said sorry!" Heath said. Deuce took off his sunglasses and stoned Heath and Manny.

"I'm getting the information myself," Deuce said, slipping his sunglasses back on. "Why waste any more time?"

"I'll come too," Gil said. He and Deuce disappeared through the door, leaving the group to glare at the statues.

* * *

"Too late?" Frankie inquired.

"Madison died before we could stop anything from happening," Missy sighed. "We were told that she was murdered, and Deuce, Seth, and Lamia didn't want to compete in the worldwide competition in May unless she was there with them. Therefore, New- I mean, Boo- York's competitors went instead."

"And lost," Jacob added. "Obviously."

"A pretty Chinese girl won," Wednesday said. "I believe her name was Meili Daiyu. Meili meaning "beautiful and graceful." Daiyu meaning 'black jade.'"

"She had the prettiest hair. It made me want to grow mine out, straighten it, and dye it black," Missy swooned.

"I know!"

"And the Indian girl, Ayana. The daughter of Kali, the Hindu goddess. She almost won as well," Missy said. Jacob rolled his eyes.

"But Madison would've won."

"Oh absolutely!" Missy nodded quickly; the others worried she was going to give herself whiplash.

"Without a doubt she would've won," Wednesday agreed.

"Do you know how she died?" Frankie asked.

"No," Missy shook her head, "they never told us."

"All we know is that Madison died, and the police found her in an empty alley and saw that she was...um..." Wednesday trailed off at the end.

"Let's go with...mistreated," Missy said.

"Yeah," Wednesday mumbled.

"So she was murdered?" Frankie asked. Jacob nodded solemnly. "Oh my ghoul."

"What about the funeral?" Operetta asked. "Was it an open casket ceremony?"

"I mean, she was burned, so it was hard to tell what caused her death," Missy said.

"But funny story," Jacob said. "We lost Wednesday seven times in three hours."

"Were there a lot of rooms or-"

"There was a LOT of people," Wednesday said, emphasizing "lot".

"How many?" Operetta asked.

"We lost track after eighty-four," Wednesday said.

"Eighty-four?!" Frankie squeaked.

"Most of the people there were family," Missy cleared up. "The only person who wasn't a family member was a young woman...what was her name..."

"Willow Wisp," Wednesday finished her thought.

"Yes! It was Willow asking if Jacob was the father of Madison."

"I didn't see her father at all," Jacob said.

"None of us did," Wednesday said. "That's because he didn't come."

"Hold on a second," Frankie interrupted. "He didn't come?"

"It appears to be that way," Missy said.

"Oh."

"Anything else you want to know?" Wednesday asked. Operetta nodded.

"I've heard her voice, so I kinda know the answer, but for Frankie's sake and so I can quote it for the project, what did Madison have that the others didn't, causing her to win all those years?"

"Well, Madison's voice had so many different elements," Missy said. "Audacity, beauty, angst, peace, mystery, and comfort were only a few."

"She also brought out emotions in the audience that the other competitors couldn't do," Wednesday added.

"But it wasn't just Madison," Jacob said. "Whoever was playing at the time, whether it was just Deuce or Lamia, Seth, and Deuce, they all had skills that couldn't have been beaten by the competitors. Plus, in a few songs, there was that mysterious singer."

"Mysterious singer?" Frankie asked. Jacob nodded. "Can we watch one of the songs with the singer? We've already listened to all the songs, but on Lamia's phone. We couldn't see anything suspicious on it."

"You can, but we're not promising anything," Wednesday shrugged. "We would have seen it at the show."

Missy said, "I say do 'October.'" Wednesday nodded. She went to the front of the room and stood behind a laptop. She opened it and typed a few things in. She then clicked on a video, and it showed up on the whiteboard in a larger format. She hit play, and the scene began with Deuce strumming his guitar and Madison getting ready to sing.

"I can't run anymore. I fall before you. Here I am. I have nothing left. Though I've tried to forget, you're all that I am. Take me home. I'm through fighting it. Broken. Lifeless. I give up. You're my only strength. Without you, I can't go on. Anymore. Ever again."

"Get ready," Missy warned. On the screen, a girl who looked identical to Madison came on screen, appearing out of nowhere. She stood directly next to Madison. "There she is!"

"My only hope."

"All the times I've tried."

"My only peace."

"To walk away from you."

"My only joy. My only strength."

"I fall into your abounding grace."

"My only power. My only life."

"And love is where I am."

"My only love." Wednesday paused the video, which revealed Madison and the ghost standing next to each other.

"Ianthe..." Operetta said breathlessly.

"I who?" Wednesday questioned.

"That's Ianthe; she's Madison's sister," Operetta answered.

"She's the youngest triplet," Frankie added. "The one who died before birth."

"She's the one who's singing background?" Missy confirmed.

"Yeah," Operetta nodded.

"She's just as good as her other two siblings," Missy said.

"Anything else?" Jacob asked.

"The inside jokes!" Missy blurted.

"What?" Frankie asked.

"Oh yeah!" Jacob grinned.

"During the practices, Jacob and I would watch and listen to Deuce and Madison's conversations. Everything was littered with inside jokes. Right, Operetta?"

"Yeah," Operetta agreed.

"The ones who couldn't compete got to work with the competitors who could," Jacob said. "Operetta was told to watch and listen to Madison and Deuce with us, since she was supposed to be with them."

"Half of what they said was an inside joke, " Missy said, "meant only for the other to understand."

"For example," Jacob said, "when they were decorating the room, Deuce painted the walls, and Madison tried to make the blood for one of the walls. Her goal was to make it drip a little, then dry up quickly. It took her forever, but when she finally made it, she left it in a corner and helped Deuce finish painting. Once the walls were dry, Madison went back to the bucket of fake blood, and it was all dried up."

"She'd gotten so mad because it took her an hour and a half to make. And it was ruined," Wednesday laughed. "She said to Deuce, 'Just skip the bleach. This stuff will knock you right out.'"

"What?" Frankie asked. "What does that mean?"

"You know how some people who want to kill themselves drink bleach?" Missy said.

"Oh my ghoul! She seriously made that joke?" Missy nodded.

"And that wasn't even the worst."

"Oh, well...is there anything you think we should know?" Frankie asked. The judges looked at each other before Missy sighed.

"There is something you should know." She sat down and took a breath before continuing. "It was the competition after Madison died. We were walking around welcoming the guests when we saw Deuce. It looked like something was something was just wrong. But nonetheless, we asked if he was competing. He said that he wasn't. So we talked until about two minutes before it started, then we left to go to our seats."

"Throughout the competition, we all kept looking back to make sure he was okay, since we all had that gut-feeling that something was up. It wasn't until a man came up to him that Jacob jumped out of his seat in the middle of someone's performance and we knew something was up," Wednesday said.

"He was getting all up in his face! Then, he hit him!" Jacob reasoned. "What was I supposed to do?"

"I wasn't saying you were wrong!" Wednesday clarified.

"Anyway, I pulled the man off him and pulled Deuce closer to me," Jacob continued. "He lashed out at him, and I swear, some of the things he said to Deuce were...just.." He took a breath. "You shouldn't tell them to anyone, much less your _son_."

"What did he say?" Frankie asked.

"I refuse to repeat that," Jacob said, more to himself than to Frankie.

"So Jacob pulled Deuce over to me and told me to sit in the back with until the show was over," Missy said.

"But we couldn't concentrate, so we ended up ending early anyway," Wednesday said.

"What happened?" Frankie asked.

"I don't know..." Missy sighed. "But we were in the back with him, and he was a mess. Like, an actual emotional train wreck. And we didn't know if it was because of what happened or because of Madison and the memories Music Festival brings. All we know was it was enough for him not to come back the following year."

"Did you know anything was wrong?" Operetta asked. "With him and his father, I mean."

Missy, Wednesday, and Jacob looked at each other. After a few moments, Missy sighed.

"There was this one thing..."

"What happened?" Frankie asked.

"We drove to New York on a tour bus," Missy said. "All eight of us, plus the driver. It was a long trip, one that lasted three days. There were bunks that they shared. Lamia took the top, Seth and Deuce took the middle, and Madison and Viperine took the bottom. We were all in the back."

"It was the second night," Wednesday said softly. "We were all sleeping before we were woken up abruptly by screaming."

"I went to go see what it was," Jacob said, "and I saw Deuce freaking out. He was screaming and shaking, and Seth was trying to calm him down. The second he saw me, he went haywire. Backed completely up into the wall and was screaming louder and...well..."

"It was pretty bad," Wednesday said. "Let's just say that." Missy nodded in agreement.

"Seth told me to leave," Jacob continued, "and I would've questioned it, but his eyes were pleading and Deuce needed it."

"Seth showed up in our room about two hours later. He said he had a nightmare that converted into a panic attack," Wednesday said. "Looking back on it now, I guess he was scared that his dad was going to hurt him, and in his tired, anxious state of mind, he saw his dad instead of Jacob."

"Whoa, hold on a second!" Frankie said. "He was scared his dad was going to... _hurt_ him?"

Their faces became grim.

"You didn't know?" Missy said, her voice equally soft and sad.

Frankie and Operetta looked at them with confused, curious eyes.

"Mark used to beat them."

"Wait, what?!" Frankie's eyes widened in shock.

The judges looked at each other, not quite sure what to say.

"No, he didn't. H-he couldn't have...could he?"

"I'm afraid that's the truth," Jacob said.

"We didn't discover it until it was too late," Wednesday mumbled.

"Too late? You mean after Madison died?" Operetta clarified.

"No...I mean after Deuce died."

* * *

"How do you screw that up?!" Deuce ranted as he hurried down the hallway.

"No idea," Gil panted, struggling to catch up with the gorgon.

"Let's just get this over with." They turned into the gym, where they found Coach Igor and Coach Verizhe.

"Hey, what can I help you with?" Coach Verizhe asked.

"We're working on a project and need to know about our teachers as teenagers," Deuce said.

"Well, I was a jock on the football, casketball, and baseball teams," the coach smiled. "Ghouls swooned for me. Guys envied me. I was a popular kid. My grades may not be all A's, but they were decent. B's and C's. I passed, and that's what matters."

"You said ghouls swooned for you," Gil said. "Did you have a ghoulfriend?"

"Almost had one several times. However, someone kept spreading rumors about me, so I never had the chance to get one."

"Anything else?" Gil asked. Coach Verizhe shook his head.

"Alright," Deuce said, "Thanks, Coach."

"No problem, son." Deuce and Gil left and hurried down the hallway.

"What did that take?" Deuce asked his friend, "Thirty seconds? They couldn't cut thirty seconds out of their _very busy lifestyle_?" Gil shrugged as they turned into the student lounge. "Jock with B's and C's," the gorgon told the group. "Football, casketball, baseball."

"He had no ghoulfriend since someone would spread rumors about him," Gil added. Robecca typed the information, thankful that someone had gotten the coach's information to make up for Manny and Heath, who were still statues in the middle of the room.

"Anyone who didn't get the information doesn't deserve a good grade, " Slo Moe groaned, glaring at Heath and Manny.

"We'll tell Mr. Rotter that as we present our project," Gil said.

"Alright," Robecca said, pulling the paper out of her typewriter. "We'll catch each other later."

* * *

"What?!" Frankie's eyes watered. "Deuce didn't die! He's alive!"

"He's alive now," Jacob said. "But he wasn't not even two years ago."

"How is that possible?" Operetta asked. Her voice cracked from emotion, and she felt her eyes starting to burn. "Monsters can't just bring themselves back to life."

"You're right. They can't bring _themselves_ back..." Missy shook her head. "What am I doing? I've said far too much."

"No, wait-"

"I'm sorry. It's not our place to tell you."

"Oh, I...I understand. Thank you for your time," Frankie said.

"It was no problem." Missy looked towards Frankie with a sad smile. "It was nice to meet you," then she looked towards Operetta, "and see you again."

"If you have any more questions, just let us know," Wednesday smiled.

"Alright," Frankie said.

"Thank you again," Operetta added.

"You're welcome," Missy said as Operetta and Frankie left the room.

* * *

"Alright, does everyone have their information?" Frankie looked around at her group. Everyone sat at Frankie's house in the living room. Frankie still hadn't told the group about her newfound information, and neither had Operetta. It was eating them both alive, but they figured it was best to obey Deuce's unspoken wishes. If he wanted them to know, he would've told them by now...right?

"Yep."

"Course, mate!"

"Yes."

"Uh, duh!"

"Operetta and I have ours too."

"Do you think..." Clawd suddenly cut himself off. Frankie looked over at him curiously.

"Do we think what?"

"Do you think it...might be time to read her diary?" He finished. Everyone looked around at each other, no one knowing quite what to say.

"I...I don't know, gils," Lagoona admitted. "I seems so...rude to snoop into her diary like that. Dead or not."

"Lagoona's right," Jackson agreed. "It does seem foreign to me to do."

"We've already looked into her past. What's in her diary shouldn't scare us. It's just everything we've researched put into her own words." Operetta said.

"Fish ghoul right," Abbey said. "It doesn't seem like good thing to do."

"But we've went through all this work!" Frankie cried. "This is the climax! This is what we've been leading up to!"

"Listen," Cleo said. Everyone looked at her, knowing a pep talk was in their future. "They gave us her diary for us to read. They wanted us to read it. Not reading it would be like-"

"Throwing away a birthday card without reading it and only keeping the money," Clawdeen interrupted.

"That." Cleo nodded at Clawdeen.

"It still doesn't seem right," Lagoona said. "Listen, I know we've all worked hard and they want us to read this diary, but this isn't ours. We shouldn't get into this."

"Hey, there's a ton of people who would be fine with you reading their diary," Frankie reasoned. "She wants us to look into it. Find out what she went through. Not to mention, her cousins gave us this because they wanted us to figure out on our own how she died. How do we find out how she died if we don't read it?"

"Well...alright. But we should only go to a certain depth in this lake."

* * *

 **Making this chapter got so confusing, I wrote each scenario, split it, organized it, and copied and pasted it into the correct order.**

 **Madison and Deuce sang "Bring Me To Life" by Evanescence, and the small snippet of Ianthe and Madison's song is called "October" by Evanescence as well. "You" by Amy Lee (with some things changed to fit better) as "Eternally Yours" by Motionless in White were also used.**

 **Oh, and the song title is "Gold" by Sleeping with Sirens.**


	5. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: This Isn't Fun Anymore

* * *

 **It's time for her diary! There were so many line breaks last chapter that there will be none in this chapter. It may get gory, but hey, this is Madison. She's a gory person.**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

As all of the team sat gathered around the Steins' living room, Frankie pulled out a small book and flipped it open to the first page.

"There isn't any 'Dear Diary' stuff," Frankie said, "but we'll know when the entry finished."

"Alright," Draculaura said, hugging a throw pillow.

"You probably don't know me, so this will be an introduction page," Frankie began. "My name is Madison Gorgon, at least that's what I prefer. I go by Madison Jayne at school. I have a brother named Deuce and a stillborn sister named Ianthe. We are triplets. Anyway, Mom- in parenthesis, Medusa- and Dad- in parenthesis, Mark- are divorced, and since Dad is a normie- and the courtroom was filled of normies and normies hate monsters- we have to live with him, but Mom gets us during summers, in which we go to Greece, particularly Petros- or Pistros, Greece to the normies. It's a small, little island with no resident population...besides us. It's perfect because we aren't judged by normies who point their fingers and call us names. I think by listening to how fond I sound of it, it's safe to say I love it a lot there. It's my favorite place on Earth. Anyway, back to the short autobiography. Dad is an abusive drunk who tortures us for his own sick, twisted amusement. He hurts us. It took years for me to realize that it's actually abuse and not just us stuffing up, but hey, here we are. I have three cousins from my mom's side that I am very close with: Lamia, Seth, and Viperine, but there's plenty more where that came from. They spend the month of February with Deuce and I in our father's house. We had two stepsisters named Iris and Kira by our stepmother, Marisa, who is a drug addict and also a sadist. We have/had ten half brothers and sisters named Chrysaor, Pegasus, Gabriel, Jason, Ashton, Caleen, Gwendolyn, Evangeline, Roxie, and Lacie. Two are by Mom and Poseidon, while the other eight are by Dad and six different women. None of the women are normies- an angel, a faun, a dryad, a demon, a fairy, and air elemental. Dad chooses to rape monsters because if you're a normie in a court full of normies with a monster, they will have a hard time thinking you are the guilty one and not the monster (the reason Deuce and I are stuck with Dad). I use music as an escape, but who doesn't? Most of the small details are in my profile, so enjoy those. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 31st day of January in 2006."

"Alright, so most of this we already kind of knew," Jackson said. "We should've came here first though. It's all laid out nicely and neatly for us." Frankie shrugged and passed the diary to Draculaura.

"Don't do anything stupid, and you won't end up in prison. No, it wasn't my fault...Okay, it was kind of my fault. Lamia wouldn't tell us where we were going, so we wound up in an illegal building in Nevada full of illegal drugs. It truly wasn't much different from Deuce's and my house. Cops came, and everyone there got arrested. Although Deuce, Viperine, Seth, Lamia, and I were the youngest ones there, we didn't go to juvenile detention. We went to a regular prison. It's not like we broke the seven deadly sins or whatever they call it, but we're- _gasp!_ Monsters! Viperine, Lamia, and I share a cell, while Deuce and Seth share another. I'm pretty sure we're all plotting to kill Lamia, but she doesn't care- like usual. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 3rd day of February in 2006."

"So she's in prison?" Frankie confirmed. Draculaura nodded and passed the book to Clawdeen.

"I think the best part about humans is that anything and everything scares them," Clawdeen read. "Deuce and I know morse code, so we tap our nails to talk to each other through the vents- one tap for a dot and a roll- in parenthesis, quick taps- using both nails for a line. It really freaked out the staff, so I took it to the next level, but can you blame me? It gets boring in here. I made a whole show of looking the part of a madman. Little blood here and there and a few manical laughs later, and we ended up in a mental ward. Well, I say "we." Deuce did the same act, unbeknownst to me. Great minds think alike, right? We replaced our delinquent orange for madhouse white. But in all honesty, it's no better than the prison. Unlike the prison, Deuce and I share a cell because no one cares. We aren't in straightjackets or padded cells yet, but we're just waiting. Security here is weak, so the cell's a cinch to escape from. I wonder how long we'll be here...I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 4th day of February in 2006."

"Alright, so what I'm taking from this," Cleo said, "is that she's actually insane." Clawdeen passed the diary to Lagoona.

"After the third day, I couldn't take it anymore. We ran away. Also, the psychiatric hospital really needed to add shatterproof windows, but I'm not complaining. We were on the second floor, so it was like jumping out of our bedroom's window minus the shattered glass and bloody hand. We are going to the prison to get L, S, and V. I will write in you soon, if I don't die- in parenthesis, or get caught- first. The 7th day of February in 2006." Lagoona then passed the book to Abbey.

"Wow. Guards really don't pay that much attention. We got in the prison effortlessly and broke out just as easily. We got to their cell and used a metal wire to unlock it. Lamia and Seth used pepper spray on the guards that found us, and Viperine used a taser on them once they were temporarily blinded. Deuce and I led them out, and we ditched Nevada and added it to the long list of places- in parethesis, buildings, cities, states, countries- that Lamia is now wanted in. We got rid of the prison and mental hospital's clothes once we got home. Let's try not to experience that again, shall we? I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 8th day of February in 2006."

"It's sad that we never knew about this," Jackson said. "You think know a person..."

"I know," Frankie agreed as Abbey passed the book to Clawd.

"I don't know how many DUI's it takes for someone to get arrested," Clawd read, "but it certainly needs to be a much smaller amount. Cope showed up and took Deuce and I into the prison too. They were planning on finding us a foster home, but thankfully, they just gave us to Mom and called it a day. Usually, it doesn't work like that, so thank gods that worker was new and didn't know any better, since it's too late now. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 18th day of May in 2006." Clawd passed the book to Jackson.

"It was super hot in Greece, so Lamia, Seth, Viperine, Deuce, and I went to the grocery store to get ice cream. It was buy one get one free. So what did we do? We bought thirteen gallons of ice cream and got thirteen free. We spent almost fifty bucks on ice cream. We each got five gallons of ice cream in our favorite flavor and a rainbow sherbet. Viperine had lemon. Lamia had mint. Seth had chocolate. Deuce had strawberry, and I had vanilla. Our backyard is huge with tons of acres, so we went out back and we turned it into a competition. The rules were we throw ice cream at each other and looking at the colors on everyone- in parenthesis, yellow, green, brown, pink, and white- the one who hit the least amount of people with their ice cream had to let everyone else throw sherbet at them. We used our hands to scoop and chuck ice cream at each other. With our 'brilliant minds', we were all rainbow by the time we were done. Viperine had to let everyone throw rainbow sherbet at her in the end. We used the hose to clean the ice cream off us. Our moms didn't find out until they saw twenty-six empty cartons of ice cream in the trash, and we got a lecture on how wasteful that was, but it was totally worth it. We had a lot of fun today and it was a good way to keep cool and act like idiots. I will write in you soon, if I don't die laughing first. The 3rd day of July in 2006."

"That actually sounds fun!" Frankie grinned.

"It really does," Clawdeen agreed. Jackson passed the diary to Cleo.

"I returned from Greece today," Cleo read. "We always go during summer. The only thing I hate about going there is that Dad makes up for the times we aren't there. We get hurt enough each day. The two months added onto the day always ends up in trips to the hospital. _Always._ Deuce winds up breaking his ribs and a limb each time, and I break an arm, leg, wrist, ankle, finger, or something like that. I hate it, but after all those years, you learn not to think things like 'why me?' or stuff like that, since that's just your lot in life. That's just how it works, and you either accept it or die trying. I've got to go now. Before he gets upset. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 2nd day of September in 2006."

"That must be scary for them," Jackson said.

"Yeah," Clawd agreed. "I can't imagine that."

"The worst part is that they just accept it," Clawdeen growled. "They shouldn't have to accept that."

"Ghouls, would you like to read?" Cleo asked Ghoulia, motioning to the book in her hands. Ghoulia shook her head and groaned. "Okay, but let us know if you change your mind." Cleo instead passed the book to Clawdeen.

"Remember yesterday when we came home to an angry father? Yeah, so Deuce and I had to run away. Dad was angrier yesterday than usual. He isn't exactly the happiest person in the world when he's drunk. Here are his exact words." Suddenly, Clawdeen stopped reading to the group.

"Well?" Cleo said after a moment of silence.

"It curses."

"Say...blank-word," Frankie offered. Clawdeen nodded.

"'Worthless piece of s-word! GET OUT! I don't want to see either of your f-word-ing faces EVER AGAIN! Do you hear that? I will murder the people you love in front of your very eyes if I see you again. GOT THAT?!'"

"What kind of father says that?!" Clawd growled.

"Deuce and I have two 'bug-out bags' whenever we have to get out of the house quickly. The first contains clothes, while the second contains food, water, medicine, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste, et cetera. We had to bring our book bags too. The worst part? We had to leave BAREFOOT. Who knows how long we'll be gone? I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 3rd day of September in 2006," Clawdeen finished.

"They were kicked out of their own house..." Frankie murmured.

"They were twelve! Not even teenagers!" Clawd huffed.

"Everything I've been mad at my dad for seems stupid compared to this," Draculaura said. Clawdeen passed the book to Frankie.

"My thoughts led back to the only thing I want: Ianthe. 'What would it be like if we were a _normal_ family?' This comes across my mind a lot. What I would give, for just one day where I could have a father who cared, a sister by my side, and a normal life. I understand that it's just wishful thinking, but I just get into these moods sometimes. I don't know. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 5th day of September in 2006."

"That's really sad," Lagoona sighed.

"Like unhappy yak." Clawdeen passed the book to her brother.

"These bugs are eating me undead! I hate this so much, but it's a thousand times better than living with Dad. And hey! Someone besides my family loves me! Mosquitoes think I'm the greatest! Okay...maybe I am getting a bit crazy out here, but oh well. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 8th day of September in 2006." Clawd passed the book to Lagoona.

"We went to school, and I figured out how much some people take for granted. Deuce and I were at our lockers. He has the one on top of mine. Anyway, we saw this werewolf ghoul who was probably a year or two younger than us."

"Howleen!" Clawd exclaimed.

"She said," Lagoona stopped.

"Lagoona, what'd she say?" Clawdeen asked.

"You won't like it, mate."

"Oh no. What is it?"

"'My family is SO ANNOYING! Clawdeen won't let me borrow anything of hers, even if she doesn't use it, Clawd and the other guys are so obsessed with sports, and I can never get any peace and quiet! Have they ever heard of abortion or birth control? I wish I was an only wolf!'"

"What?!" Clawd growled.

"She is so dead!" Clawdeen snarled.

"I have seen the Wolf family, and I would gladly trade places with her any day. That is a family that truly loves and cares for each other. That is luxury. Maybe she doesn't know it, but I am pretty jealous. I am not one of those ghouls that gets jealous over the dumbest things like clothes and money, but when I see families like that, it makes me want to cry. I mean, why couldn't I have had a family like that?" Clawdeen felt her heart sink after getting angry at her sibling.

"That just made me feel really awful."

"Me too," Frankie agreed, thinking of how much her parents loved her and would do anything for her.

"Me three," Draculaura agreed.

"You're talking for us all," Abbey said.

"I love _my mom's_ side of the family. Aunt Stheno and Aunt Euryale. My cousins, Lamia, Seth, and Viperine. My half brothers by Mom and Poseidon- Chrysaor and Pegasus. I love _some_ people from my Dad's side. I do love my stepsisters, Iris and Kira. I also love my half brothers and sisters by Dad, Jason, Ashton, Gabriel, Gwendolyn, Evangeline, Caleen, Roxie, and Lacie. I love Ianthe, the only triplet that was stillborn. I also love Deuce. I couldn't ever live without him. I'm not kidding. He's the only reason I'm still alive. Undead. Whatever. It doesn't matter. But I hate my dad and our paternal aunts, uncles, and grandparents. They call Mom a 'demonic whore' and think Deuce and I are the scum of the earth."

"My Ra!"

"Monsters don't know how lucky they are to have a family that loves them. A family that isn't divorced. A family where half hates us and half lives on the other side of the world. A mother who doesn't have to worry each day, hoping her children won't be murdered by her ex-husband. A father who won't beat them and hurt them for no reason except for his own amusement...What I wouldn't give... I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 14th day of September in 2006."

"I can't read anymore of these kinds of entries," Frankie admitted. "It makes me feel horrible." Lagoona passed the diary to the vampire.

"On the 14th day of September, a werewolf named Howleen said how much she didn't like her annoying family," Draculaura read. "Something happened that was kind of similar to that. Kind of. Meh. It was between my least favorite person in the school and her younger sister at the end of the last period. Yep, the de Nile family. I am not going to outright say I _hate_ them, but they are not the first people I'd choose to hang out with. Actually, you know what? F-word it. I hate them. Their father, Ramses de Nile, acts like we are worth about as much as a pile of dog s-word. His daughter, Nefera, treats us like our dad does- puts us through pain for her sick amusement. I have never met the wife of Ramses, but I don't want to.

"Oh my RA!" Cleo yelled, standing up angrily.

"The only one who doesn't hate us and we don't hate her in return is Cleo." With those words, Cleo's anger calmed drastically. Her raised eyebrows dropped, and she released a breath she didn't know she held. "The problem with her is the fact that she is forced to follow Nefera around, so Nefera can teach her 'how to be a true leader' or some bull s-word like that. Cleo doesn't have too many friends- in parenthesis, because everyone hates Nefera, but they treat her like she's a goddess, but she wants someone. She's also bullied by Manny Taur. So...we are kind of similar...sort of... Anyway. And Deuce likes her, which I make fun of him for. A lot. But he knows I'm teasing."

"So he liked you even then," Clawdeen said to Cleo, who reluctantly sat back down on the couch. Ghoulia's words washed over the mummy, and she felt herself reaching for the notebook paper they found at the house.

"So Cleo and Nefera were arguing about something," Dracualura continued, "but if you listen closely, you can tell it was about Deuce and me. Shocker. Cleo was trying to tell her to leave us alone- in parenthesis, the first and only person to ever be brave enough to do that- and was standing up for us. What does Nefera do? She tells Cleo that the only way she will be a 'good leader' is to make sure no one stands in her way. So she goes over to me and knocks me down. Now, that is a bit too familiar with me. She kicked my sides a bit then pushed me on the brick wall of the school. She spat on my face and cursed at me. Hmm...still too familiar..."

"That's awful how she has to put 'too familiar,'" Jackson said.

"When she left, I got up and found Deuce in the music room, playing an acoustic guitar. When he noticed I was there, he immediately dropped everything to ask what happened and if I was alright. He didn't look too good himself either, but I already knew someone else got to him. He sat by me a little before told me to wash up. When I went to the ghouls' restroom and looked in the mirror, I could see where he was getting it from. I was a mess, which was surprising considering that compared to Dad, Nefera is usually a walk in the park. I cleaned up, and we left the school to go to the music store, only to find Dad asking the cashier if he knew where we were, so we ran to the woods. This day just keeps getting better. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 20th day of September in 2006." Draculaura passed the book to Jackson.

"Deuce and I went to the music store after school. We were about five when we started working there. Now, I know what you're thinking. What about child labor laws? You can't work at such a young age! Well, you can if you're a monster, especially a hybrid like we are. It started when we were looking around the store and stopped to help people, whether that was find something or inform them. When the manager saw us help the customers and realized that we knew more than most of the workers did, he offered us a job as long as we didn't say a word to the police. The best part is that it doesn't feel like work, and we can come when we can. If we cannot get off the basement floor for the life of us, we won't get phone calls asking why we missed work. Anyway, we stayed until 10:00 pm, then we went to the woods. It's nice and cool at night. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 26th day of September in 2006."

"Five years old and already working," Clawd mumbled.

"Well, their daddy obviously isn't gonna pay for 'em," Operetta said.

"Yeah, don't remind me." Jackson passed the book to Clawd, who flipped the page before reading. "There were wanted posters all over town for us. I got really nervous and Deuce and I wound up throwing most of them away. Hmm...does Dad really want us back?... NO! 'Course he doesn't! He said he never wanted to see us again. But Dad never follows through on anything except the abuse. Hmm... I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 30th day of September in 2006."

"Why does he want them back if he hates them?" Jackson asked.

"I mean," Cleo said, "Imagine if word got out. What if they told the police? He doesn't want to get busted, so he needs them to keep the secret. The only way for him to do that is to keep an eye on them. If he doesn't know where they are, he can't do that."

"Yeah, good point," Jackson nodded. Operetta was passed the book.

"Deuce and I made it a month on our own. So far, we're doing perfectly fine- better off than we were with Dad. We live in the woods a few miles from the school. I wonder how long this will last... I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 2nd day of October in 2006."

"A month on her own!" Frankie marveled.

"I couldn't last two days," Lagoona agreed. Operetta passed Jackson the diary.

"Sorry that I haven't written in you in months, but I figured I'd save room for when we need it- like now. Police are leaving no stone unturned trying to find us. Dad also has some of his buddies from the bar trying to find us with the reward of seven bottles of twenty-five-year-old scotch. If you are reading this, please help! Just don't turn us in! I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 7th day of December in 2006."

"Bartering kids for alcohol?!" Clawd snorted. "Is that even legal?!" Jackson passed the yeti the book.

"This just keeps getting better. Deuce and I are still on our own. The weather is getting harsher, and now it's snowing. We are relying on each other for heat, and nightmares are quickly adding up. Hypothermia is nearing. This is my favorite part about being cold-blooded. Thank goodness for school, where they crank the heat. If not for that, we'd be corpses. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 23rd day of December in 2006."

"I hope she doesn't die from frostbite!" Frankie said, thinking about how Madison could have died.

"She doesn't. I mean, we still have quite a few entries left. It's okay," Clawdeen confirmed. Abbey handed Lagoona the book.

"I had a terrible nightmare. I usually don't write my nightmares in my diary because if anyone reads this, I don't want to put my pain on them. I figured I would do it once, just for others to see what it's like. This isn't my worst nightmare or my the least scariest, so this is my average nightmare. I remember everything as clear as crystal, so I'll write what happened. Here it is."

"Who else is nervous?" Draculaura asked. She was met by a few raises of hands.

"I wake and find nothing but a dirt road," Lagoona continued. "With no other choice, I walk the path. Along the way, I find old, twisted trees that have long lost their leaves. I see a ghostly figure walk across the dry land. I run up to catch it. The closer I get to the figure I realize who it is. 'Violet!' I scream. The figure doesn't even look at me. 'Ianthe!' I catch up to her. As soon as I'm about a foot from her, she disappears. I turn around and look for her. I see her again to my left, but she's very far away from me.

"What?" Clawdeen asked, confused.

"'Ianthe!' Once I come closer to her, she disappears once more. She reappears on my right side behind me."

"Why is she ignoring her?" Draculaura inquired.

"'Violet! Stop!' I reach her again, but this time, she's holding a knife. 'Why won't you just leave me alone?!' She sank the knife deep into my chest. I felt myself falling in pure darkness. I was spiraling downward like Alice through the hole. However, I landed anywhere but Wonderland."

"Oh my ghoul!" Frankie said.

"Jackson, you read," Lagoona said, pushing the book to Jackson. He accepted.

"I land in Deuce's and my bedroom. I lay on my side before I stand up. From behind, I hear Lamia say something, and I freeze. 'I can't believe you would do such a thing.' I turn and face my cousin. Her arms are crossed. 'What did I do?' I asked, confused. 'You should know. It's all your fault, a masculine voice replies.' Seth came out from behind my back and stood near Llama. He had a scowl on his face, and the snakes on his head were hissy."

"Cannot picture Seth angry. Like happy yak smashing snowmen," Abbey commented.

"'You killed Deuce,' said Lamia. My hands flew to my mouth as I felt the blood drain from my face. 'Bu-But, I-I didn't-' I was interrupted by Lamia slapping me right across the face. A red hand print stained my cheek. 'You really are a...um...b-word, aren't you? You left him. And when his father was sober, your brother took too much abuse. He couldn't take it all. If you were there, he'd still be alive. If you were there...' Tears fell from Lamia's eyes. 'If you were there, we wouldn't hate you. But now, we'll never forgive you. Now get your filthy um...a-word out of here and live with your own shame.'"

"Whoa," Clawd mumbed.

"I was shocked," Jackson continued. "Had I really killed him? I was frozen in place. That led Lamia to grabbing a club and smashing it against a mirror. It shattered into many pieces."

"Can I read?" Clawdeen asked.

"Go ahead," Jackson said handing Clawdeen the book.

"When the pieces reunited, the scene changed. I saw Dad standing in front of me with a smirk on his face. 'Good on ya, kid. Never thought you would've done something like that. I'm proud of you.' My eyes widen. 'I didn't mean to!' Dad's eyes widen this time, and he scowls at me. 'But you still did. Even if it was an accident, it doesn't make it any better.' He grabs my arm and throws me on the floor. 'You're just like me, ya little...uh...c-word. And it's only a matter of time before you realize it.' I black out and wake on a stage. A ghoul with red and black hair stands next to me. She's a stranger, but I know her somehow. 'Operetta!' I shout."

"What?" Operetta shouted. "But...I didn't even know her at this time!"

"She turns around and scowls. 'What do you want?' 'Please just tell me where I am.' 'Who would want to be to talk to you? You're worthless, just like everyone else who you think loves you.' The stage fades to a mirror. Around me are the bloodied bodies of everyone I love. There is also a boy and ghoul with olive skin and green eyes. The ghoul has platinum blonde snakes, but the boy has green."

"Are they...cousins?" Draculaura asked.

"At first, I didn't know who the children were. But soon, I realized those were my future children. I've always wanted to be a mother someday, but not anymore. The thought of me hurting my own kids terrified me, not to mention, made me sick."

"That's horrible," Frankie said, wiping a tear from her right eye.

"I walk backwards into a wall. There is a black hole I accidentally step through. It leads me to a different scene. I'm now at a church. I'm on the floor. A grand piano starts playing sad music. I stand up and walk to the front of the church. I see a casket. In the wooden box, there is a body. It takes everything in me to look inside."

"Don't look inside!" Frankie cried.

"Deuce is lying in the box, looking pale and sickly. Both his green eyes, which are bruised and are now black eyes, are closed. There is a huge scar going down his right eye. His arms and both legs are broken, not to mention his ribs. There is copper embedded under his skin, and all his fingernails are gone- torn out. There are bite marks. Not even from an animal, but instead, of a human. Not a single part of his body doesn't have a wound on it, whether there is a welt, bruise, scratch, scar, cut, or it's just broken."

"Oh goth. I don't want to picture that," Jackson mumbled, trying to get the image of his best friend lying dead in a casket out of his mind.

"Tears form in my eyes and fog my vision. I want to claw at everything. I run out of the church, sobbing. I sit under a weeping willow and cry my eyes out. Then, I hear someone clear their throat. I look up and see Deuce staring at me, arms crossed."

"Wait, what?" Clawd asked.

"'It's rude to just walk out on me, especially like that." I jump towards him and hug him tightly, but he quickly pushes away. "What makes you think I still love you?' The question shocks me. 'Do you honestly think anyone could truly love you now?' He smirks, which is usually beautiful, but now, it's full of pure hatred. I don't answer. 'I asked you a question, Madison.' All of a sudden, he pulls out a gun and aims it straight towards me. 'Answer my question.' I still stare blankly at him. He shrugs. 'Suit yourself.' He smiles an evil smile, then presses the trigger. The bullet flies out of the gun, but time moves slowly. The bullet hits my thigh as I scream in pain and agony. He steps closer, then aims the handheld right at my face. His eyes turn cold. 'Goodbye, Maddie.' Then, he fires."

"Stop!" Draculaura cried. "Just stop reading!"

"The pain is unending. It explodes through my skull. I feel myself falling backwards. I land on the gray carpet of the church once more. The coffin is still there, and the funeral still holds the same people. I look in the coffin. This time, it's me."

"STOP!" Frankie cried.

"I'll read," Clawd offered, taking the book.

"No!" Lagoona yelled.

"I walk backwards, fear drawn on my eyes."

"Why don't you listen?!" The sea-monster cried.

"I walk into someone and turn around. It is a skeleton man with a black robe. The hood is up, and the man is holding a scythe. He raises it. 'Sweet dreams.' He slashes the scythe through my lithe body, killing myself once more. Unfortunately, it's not the end. I see a mirror. I put my hand on it, and the limb goes through. The rest of my body goes tumbling into mirror. I regain my balance, but I'm now in an empty room with nothing but a desk. And on this desk is a single blade. Picking it up, I can't help but lay it against my skin. The cool metal feels nice against the warmth of my skin. Suddenly, I feel the blade sink into the skin. I try to remove it and to get it away from my arm, but to no avail. I have no choice but to watch red trails of blood leak out. It was so alluring, but yet so terrifying. That's the beauty of pain."

"Makes no sense," Abbey said. "How is pain beautiful? In my village, pain is honor-not beauty."

"I've heard that beauty _is_ pain- shaving, makeup, hair, clothes, but not the beauty of pain," Clawdeen said.

"Well, this is Madison," Frankie said.

"The blood then turned black. It hardened and became solid, like stone. But it was more like raw black onyx. I tried peeling it off my skin, but it wouldn't budge. The trail of newly hardened black blood then started expanding. It covered my arms, then moved to my legs. It made its way down my torso and up my neck. It felt like cement, and I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. It didn't take long until my entire body was covered. The only thing left uncovered were my eyes. The solid blood then transformed into parasites. Ticks, tapeworms, wasps, and even human bot flies all covered my body. I tried to scream, but when I opened my mouth, a tongue eating louse took its place on my tongue. They were everywhere, and I couldn't get them off of me. It was impossible to escape."

"Please stop," Draculaura cried, shaking.

"Jackson, bro, you read," Clawd siad, handing Jackson the book.

"When I was sleeping, I subconsciously grabbed Deuce's torso and squeezed his ribs. He woke up and screeched in pure pain, causing me to wake up. It took about five minutes for him to calm down from the pain put on his broken ribs and even longer for me to calm down from my nightmare. He comforted me and told me it wouldn't happen and that it's just in my mind. My dreams and nightmares always mean something, so I am about to have an anxiety attack. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 10th day of January in 2007."

"She said that was an average nightmare!" Clawd reminded the group.

"Poor Maddie!" Frankie cried as Abbey was handed the book.

"Dad finally found us. It was not a pretty sight. I remember being picked up and being thrown in the trunk of his car. When we got home, we were beat merciless. Deuce and I were near the mirror. If you look inside of our basement, one wall is a huge mirror-like a ballet studio without the railing. Dad picked up a handheld gun and for once, the alcohol saved us. He had missed. He shot several times, missing us each time. The whole mirror was broken when he got tired of it. He wrapped his hand around Deuce's neck and choked him to the ground. Dad shot an inch away from Deuce's temple. He then picked up a shard of broken glass, cut me with it, dug a hole in my cheek until you could see my teeth, then stabbed me just left of my heart. He punched us and kicked us around a little bit, then left the basement, locking the door behind him. Deuce and I were left to lay on the concrete, battered, bloody, and broken. Two days later- in parenthesis, today, we got out. I am writing this while Deuce is lying on the bed crying. We'll go to the hospital later. I realized Dad was the cloaked figure in my nightmare and stabbing in the heart was a foreshadow of Dad stabbing my heart. I still don't know what Deuce's death means. I will write in you soon, if I don't die a slow and painful death first. The 31st day of January in 2007."

"Poor gil," Lagoona cried. Abbey handed Jackson the book.

"We went to school and all eyes were on us," Jackson read. "Now, I hate attention. Heads down, we went to our lockers and then had everyone asking us what happened- not so they could help, just because they were curious. I swear, monsters are so nosy. It gave Nefera a chance to pick on us more and for us to go to the principal's office for 'causing a distraction.' It's not like we chose to! Deuce and I went to the janitor's closet for the rest of the period. When we went back, it was time for gym. Everyone stared at my chest- in parenthesis, near my heart- and all my bruises and ribs. I can't wait for Saturday: Music Festival! I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 1st day of February in 2007." Jackson handed Clawdeen the book, as she still wiped away tears from the nightmare.

"Thank gods for Friday!" Clawdeen read. "My cousins are here! Every February, Lamia, Seth, and Viperine spend a month at our house. Viperine told us they were late because they had to bail Lamia out of juvenile detention for arson. Typical Lamia. That ghoul is only fourteen and already went to juvenile detention twenty-three times! They would've missed Music Festival if they were a day later. The first thing Lamia said to us was, 'Hey... You got a hole in your face!' I wanted to smack her so badly, but I was so happy they were here that I didn't. She had me open my mouth, so she could stick her finger in the hole in my cheek and watch her finger come into my mouth on the other side. Umm...That ghoul is some kind of crazy! Deuce and I had to tell them what happened on the 29th day of January. We practiced for Music Festival and enjoyed our cousins' company because it'll feel like tomorrow when they leave us alone with Dad again. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 2nd day of February in 2007."

"The last part," Frankie replied solemnly. "It'll feel like tomorrow when they'll leave again." Clawd was handed the diary.

"We went to Music Festival today. There are lots of genres to choose and competitions for each one, but we like to go to the one where all genres are allowed. In the competitions, there is a theme- like a story or maybe a certain problem, like drug abuse or something- and the lyrics must reflect it. There are three judges: Wednesday, Jacob, and Missy. Deuce and I started Music Festival in 2001 when we were six. In the music store, the manager showed us a flyer for it and we competed ever since-not to mention, won each year. The genre was 'If I Died,' so I sang 'Missing'. Here are the lyrics."

"We've seen this, right?" Clawdeen interrupted.

"Yeah, but I never heard it, so let me read the lyrics please," Jackson said.

"Please, please forgive me, but I won't be home again," Clawd read. "Maybe someday you'll look up, and barely conscious, you'll say to no one: 'Isn't something missing?'"

"This is getting sad. I'll be teary-eyed by the end," Frankie said.

"Frankie," Cleo said, "you already are teary-eyed."

"You already cried," Ghoulia moaned.

"You won't cry for my absence, I know- You forgot me long ago," Clawd continued. "Am I that unimportant? Am I so insignificant? Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me?"

"Aw!" Draculaura cried, "I always feel awful when I read her entries."

"Even though I'm the sacrifice," Clawd read, "you won't try for me, not now. Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?" Draculaura and Frankie were already crying when Lagoona joined them.

"All she wanted was to be loved," she mumbled.

"Please, please forgive me, but I won't be home again. I know what you do to yourself. I breathe deep and cry out, 'Isn't something missing? Isn't someone missing me?'"

"Stop there," Jackson said. "Let's analyze these lyrics."

"What does 'will not be home again' mean?" Abbey asked.

"I think it's saying to forgive her for running away. Most likely to her mom or dad," Clawd answered.

"I'd say her mom," Jackson said. "Her dad doesn't care."

"'I know what you do to yourself,'" Frankie quoted.

"That sounds like it's about self-loathing," Clawdeen said.

"It probably is," Draculaura said, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Even though I'm the sacrifice, you won't try for me, not now. Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?" Clawd continued.

"Jackson, here's the worst part," Clawdeen said, feeling her throat already begin closing up.

"And if I bleed, I'll bleed," Clawd said, "knowing you don't care. And if I sleep just to dream of you, I'll wake without you there. Isn't something missing? Isn't something..." Frankie and Draculaura cried harder, and Ghoulia added to the leaky water pipes. "Even though I'm the sacrifice, you won't try for me, not now. Though I'd die to know you love me, I'm all alone. Isn't someone missing me?"

"It's definitely different reading the lyrics than listening to them," Cleo said.

"Anyway," Clawd continued, "we won again. This year, they are taking us to county. If we win, we go to state, then nationals, and maybe world! Hmm...So much to plan! What am I going to sing for the contest? Maybe I'll make Deuce sing with me next time! The judges are going to LOVE that! Especially Missy- she likes duets the best. County competitions are at Monster High on the 2nd day of March after school Friday. TGIF! I have to go. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 3rd day of February in 2007."

"She does make Deuce sing," Cleo said. "We saw it in the video."

"And they sound great too," Draculaura added as Clawd handed Frankie the book.

"This house is anything but safe. With all the drugs, alcohol, and roaches, I wasn't surprised to find leeches. However, I was surprised to find them on my arms and legs after my shower though. This wouldn't happen to anyone but my family. Deuce and I spent the morning trying to see how many there were and how long they've been there. After school, we got most out and I put them in a jar. Hmm... Nefera has a pool, right? I'm just kidding! I wouldn't do that! She deserves it, but it wouldn't make me any better than Dad. What to do with leeches...? I bet Llama would love them, name all of them, then find a purpose for all of them. Leeches have 'health purposes', right? ...I may have a purpose for them... I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 12th day of February in 2007."

"She wanted to put them in my pool!" Cleo yelled.

"She was kidding, love," Lagoona said, putting a webbed hand on Cleo's shoulder. Frankie handed Draculaura the diary.

"We all know Nefera. She's a vain, power-hungry, five-thousand year-old pain-in-the-neck. No, that's understatement. A vain, power-hungry, stuck up, arrogant, snobby, five-thousand year-old b-word. She followed Deuce and me home-in parenthesis, stalker!- with her phone recording, only to hear and see Dad come outside, anything but sober, knock us down, kick us, punch us, and tell us to 'get our worthless a-word-s in the house'. Nothing good can come out of this. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 13th day of February in 2007."

"I reckon that's gotta be awful!" Operetta said.

"Wanna read?" Clawd asked. After a moment, Operetta nodded.

"It's kinda lengthy," Draculaura said, looking at the next entry. Operetta shrugged, and Draculaura handed her the book.

"Deuce and I are at the hospital. Dad beat us, took us to the bar, in parenthesis, let the people at the bar rape me, while Dad hurt Deuce even more, tied our arms and legs together so we couldn't leave, and tried to get home. Key word: TRIED. He was drunk and driving! Together! Again! The car flipped, and we got into a major accident between two or three other cars. Glass was EVERYWHERE! Llama, Trouble, and Champagne came and tried to get us out from under the car. Champagne told us that she saw the car on the news and came as quick as they could. Dad got out first- in parenthesis, typical. I came out next, having Lamia pull me out. Deuce was last. He was buried in glass and broken pieces of the cars, not to mention was crammed in the back of the car. Viperine had to crawl in through the broken window and try to find him and get him out. He was coughing up blood, and I tried my best to tell him everything was going to be alright, which was hard since I was in a lot of pain and was having a hard time trying to believe it myself. I could feel blood all over my face and chest and limbs. It felt like fire; everything stung. I'd never wish that kind of pain on anyone. Dad broke his arm- in parenthesis, figures he's not that hurt. I broke my nose, right arm, right leg, femur, and shoulder. Deuce broke his left arm, right leg, rib-in parenthesis, again. He has 2 or 3 that aren't broken, the rest are, collarbone, and tailbone. We were taken by an ambulance to the hospital. Lamia brought my diary- in parenthesis, if you're reading this, thank you! I hope we can get out in time for Music Festival. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 15th day of February in 2007.

"Why was he driving under the influence of alcohol?!" Clawd huffed.

"Clawd," Jackson said, "he doesn't care." Operetta handed Abbey the book.

"The brilliant monster who left a huge stack of papers in our hospital room probably hates me now. I may or may not have made one thousand five hundred forty-seven paper flowers. You can't see the floor! Anyway, the sky was lavender, and the clouds were pastel pink after it stopped raining. The nurse came in and said we needed to 'interact socially with others' because we were 'out of touch.' I said, 'Don't say I'm out of touch with this rampant chaos- your reality.' When she left, Deuce and I wrote a song, which I insisted we call 'Imaginary'. Here are the lyrics.

"They're going to be sad!" Draculaura yelled. "I know it!"

"I linger in the doorway of alarm clock screaming monsters calling my name. Let me stay," Abbey read. "Where the wind will whisper to me. Where the raindrops, as they're falling, tell a story."

"They're not sad," Clawd said to Draculaura.

"In my field of paper flowers," Abbey continued, "and candy clouds of lullaby-in parenthesis, flowers, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me-in parenthesis, flowers. Don't say I'm out of touch with this rampant chaos- your reality. I know well what lies beyond my sleeping refuge. The nightmare I built my own world to escape. In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby- in parenthesis, flowers, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me- in parenthesis- flowers."

"It's still strong and moving, but it's more powerful the gloomier it is," Jackson said.

"Swallowed up in the sound of my screaming. Cannot cease for the fear of silent nights," Abbey said. "Oh, how I long for the deep sleep dreaming. The goddess of imaginary light. In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby- in parenthesis, flowers, I lie inside myself for hours and watch my purple sky fly over me-in parenthesis, flowers."

"Wow," Frankie marveled.

"Pretty good if I do say so myself," Abbey read. "I have to go now. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 16th day of February in 2007."

"I loved that," Dracalaura said as Abbey handed Lagoona the book. "It wasn't anywhere as sad as I thought it'd be."

"We were let out of the hospital today!" Lagoona read, "Only two days before Music Festival! Lamia, Seth, and Viperine persuaded Aunt Stheno and Aunt Euryale to let them stay, which they agreed to! I am so happy! Can't wait! I am scared though, since Dad thinks today is our birthday, we might get put right back in the hospital before we can perform. Don't ask why he thinks that. Mom left the house to stay with her sisters a few days before we were born, which is why he thinks that. Anyway, I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 28th day of February in 2007."

"So he doesn't know their real birthday?" Frankie clarified.

"More importantly," Lagoona said, "is the day he thinks their birthday is."

"Wait, what?" Clawd asked.

"Yeah, what are you talking about?" Draculaura asked.

"This entry was written on February 28th," Lagoona continued, "which Madison just said is the day that Mark thinks is her and Deuce's birthday."

"Yeah, so?"

"If you remember, Lamia and Seth said that the abuse finally stopped when Mark got arrested, which was February 28th, 2009."

"Are you assuming they're a correlation?" Ghoulia moaned.

"All I'm saying is that it's a bit...peculiar," Lagoona said. She passed the book to Cleo.

"Music Festival went fang-tastic! We went to Monster High and sang for three new judges. I think their names were Mrs. Bloodgood, or Headless Headmistress Bloodgood, Mr. Hackington, or Mr. Hack, and Mr. Rotter."

"Our teachers?" Frankie asked.

"Frankie, why do you think the tape was at our school?" Clawdeen asked. Frankie turned red from embarrassment.

"Deuce and I did a duet called 'Hero,'" Cleo continued. "The lyrics are-"

"Written very good," Draculaura said, remembering the video Lamia showed them.

"It's well, not good," Ghoulia corrected.

"Sorry! Written very _well_!"

"I'm just a step away," Cleo read. "I'm just a breath away. Losin' my faith today. Fallin' off the edge today. I am just a man. Not superhuman. (I'm not superhuman.) Someone save me from the hate. It's just another war. Just another family torn. Falling from my faith today. Just a step from the edge. Just another day in the world we live."

"Break it down again," Jackson said.

"'Someone save me from the hate,'" Draculaura quoted.

"Someone help me from my father's torture and hate towards me," Clawdeen offered.

"Is 'it's just another war. Just another family torn' talking about Deuce and Maddie's mom and dad divorcing?" Clawd asked.

"Probably," Frankie said.

"I need a hero to save me now," Cleo read. "I need a hero. Save me now. I need a hero to save my life. A hero'll save me just in time. I've gotta fight today to live another day. Speakin' my mind today. My voice will be heard today. I've gotta make a stand, but I am just a man. I'm not superhuman. My voice will be heard today! It's just another war. Just another family torn. My voice will be heard today! It's just another kill. The countdown begins to destroy ourselves. I need a hero to save me now. I need a hero. Save me now. I need a hero to save my life. A hero'll save me just in time. I need a hero to save my life. I need a hero just in time. Save me just in time. Save me just in time. Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive? We're in the fight of our lives and we're not ready to die. Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make 'em believe? I've got a hero- I've got a hero livin' in me. I'm gonna fight for what's right. Today I'm speaking my mind. And if it kills me tonight, I will be ready to die. A hero's not afraid to give his life. A hero's gonna save me just in time. I need a hero to save me now. I need a hero. Save me now. I need a hero to save my life. A hero'll save me just in time. I need a hero. Who's gonna fight for what's right? Who's gonna help us survive? I need a hero. Who's gonna fight for the weak? Who's gonna make 'em believe? I need a hero. I need a hero. A hero's gonna save me just in time."

"In the video, Deuce has a great voice," Frankie said.

"Guess who's going to state!" Cleo read. "Both of us are really excited! It's on the 16th day of March. The only problem is the location. It's at a bar: the same bar Dad goes to. Can't wait... I am having mixed feelings about this... I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 2nd day of March in 2007."

"Oh no," Draculaura said. "That's not good." Cleo handed Frankie the diary.

"Lamia, Seth, and Viperine took us to the music store after school for our birthday. Maybe it was to get away from Dad. Maybe it was because we like music. Whatever it was, I'm not complaining. We also split up when we go to music stores though. Seth goes to the drums and keyboards. Lamia typically goes to flutes and violins, but she goes to bass guitars too. Viperine goes to guitar picks and straps with a notebook to find designs for her makeup, since she's not a nerd like the rest of us are. Deuce and I went to guitars, pedals, microphones, amplifiers, and pianos. We didn't leave until closing time, and we came into the house by the bedroom window on the second floor. Deuce, Lamia, and I all have experience coming in and out of windows- in parenthesis, for different reason, but we had to help Seth and Viperine up. We talked a bit and didn't have to see Dad at all today. It was great! I will write in you soon, if I don't die laughing first. The 5th day of March in 2007."

"Oh, I like how she changed it at the end," Abbey commented. Frankie passed Clawdeen the book.

"Music Festival was not the best today," the wolf read. "I told you before that it was at the same bar Dad goes to. I had to sing about a phrase told to you. So we made Dad's 'quote' be the chorus. Here are the lyrics."

"I'd like to hear this 'quote' again," Clawd grumbled.

"Stoplight, lock the door. Don't look back. Undress in the dark and hide from you, all of you," Clawdeen read. "You'll never know the way your words have haunted me. I can't believe you'd ask these things of me. You don't know me. Now or never."

"Whoa," Frankie said.

"You belong to me, my snow white queen. There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over. Soon I know you'll see, you're just like me. Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you."

"Her father said that?!" Cleo yelled.

"That's awful!"

"It's really disturbing."

"I hate this family."

"That's because that's not a family."

"Wake up in a dream," Clawdeen continued. "Frozen fear. All your hands on me. I can't scream. I can't scream. I can't escape the twisted way you think of me. I feel you in my dreams and I don't sleep. I don't sleep. You belong to me, my snow white 's nowhere to run, so let's just get it over. Soon I know you'll see, you're just like 't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you. I can't save your life, though nothing I bleed for is more tormenting. I'm losing my mind and you just stand there and stare as my world divides! You belong to me, my snow white queen. There's nowhere to run, so let's just get it I know you'll see, you're just like me. Don't scream anymore my love, 'cause all I want is you."

"Oh my ghoul!" Draculaura cried.

"He was there, and when I sang, I had a huge panic attack while singing, so it was hard for me to concentrate, and I cracked under pressure just singing the chorus. In Music Festival, all the contestants sing, then you come on stage again to find out how you did. I sang, then when we went to the back, I had to have Llama, Trouble, Champagne, and Baby comfort me. Baby was on the edge too, but it was kind of kept in. You could see the anxiety radiating off of him though. We hid in the janitor's closet while Dad came to the back to find us. We won though. Everyone thought my panic attack was just an act. Nationals are in New York on the 30th day of March. We have a week or two off at school, so we can go! It's at Carnegie Hall! I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 16th day of March in 2007." Clawdeen gave Operetta the book.

"We went to a practice room to mess around and play different songs from various artists," Operetta read. "In the middle of our time there, Lamia said that she thought someone else was in the auditorium with us. I said they aren't bothering us, so I didn't care. I also think Ianthe took over my body in the middle of 'Whisper.' It felt like I was sleeping and woke up in a different part of the song. Deuce said it sounded like me, but it didn't sound like me, as in the voice sounded like mine, but it didn't act like mine. It kind of freaked me out. Anyway, Marisa and Dad came in and hurt us, and I hope the person Lamia said was there with us didn't see that. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 18th day of March in 2007."

"Did it ever say who that someone was?" Cleo asked, with an emotion in her voice that no one could pick out.

"No..." Operetta said, raising an eyebrow at the mummy.

"Why do you care, Cleo?" Clawdeen asked. "You usually don't care about these things."

"I, uh, just thought another person to interview!" Cleo said quickly. "We need as many people as possible." The group looked at each other curiously, wondering if they should believe her. Yet, they shook it off, and Operetta handed Draculaura the diary.

"We went got off the tour bus to New York for Music Festival, and when we finally stopped, Lamia started doing cartwheels. That turned into a competition. Deuce and Lamia were the best. I went upside down in my cartwheel when I fell backwards and landed on my back. Viperine landed on her head, and Seth did a parkour. It was obvious who won. We can't wait for Music Festival! I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 20th day of March in 2007," the vampire finsihed, handing Jackson the diary.

"We had to meet at Carnegie Hall at five pm for practice," he read. "We have a lot of time to spare, so we went sightseeing. We went to the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Broadway, and then went to Carnegie Hall for practice. I took lots of pictures, then added them to the scrapbook I brought. It feels better without school, Dad, and Marisa not on my back. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 24th day of March in 2007."

"We definitely need to look at the scrapbook," Frankie said to the group. Jackson handed Lagoona the book.

"Music Festival was today! Half the states couldn't perform because it said a duet with someone that has already sang with you in MF before. Thank gods, I made Deuce sing with me! Deuce and I sang 'Not Gonna Die.' Here are the lyrics."

" _Now_ we'll be sad," Draculaura said.

"Death surrounds. My heartbeat's slowing down. I won't take this world's abuse. I won't give up, I refuse! This is how it feels when you're bent and broken. This is how it feels when your dignity's stolen. When everything you love is leaving, you hold on to what you believe in. The last thing I heard was you whispering goodbye, and then I heard you flat line. No, not gonna die tonight! We're gonna stand and fight forever! Don't close your eyes. No, not gonna die tonight! We're gonna fight for us together! No, we're not gonna die tonight!"

"I'm having flashbacks..." Operetta mumbled.

"Break their hold 'cause I won't be controlled. They can't keep their chains on me when the truth has set me free. This is how it feels when you take your life back. This is how it feels when you finally fight back. When life pushes me I push harder. What doesn't kill me makes me stronger. The last thing I heard was you whispering goodbye, and then I heard you flat line. No, not gonna die tonight! We're gonna stand and fight forever! Don't close your eyes. No, not gonna die tonight! We're gonna fight for us together! No, we're not gonna die tonight!"

"Carnegie Hall..." Operetta continued. "The large stage. Maddie's angelic voice and Deuce's deep voice... It's flooding into my mind!"

"Don't you give up on me! You're everything I need! This is how it feels when you take your life back! This is how it feels when you fight back! No, not gonna die tonight! We're gonna stand and fight forever! Don't close your eyes. No, not gonna die tonight! We're gonna fight for us together! No, we're not gonna die tonight! No, we're not gonna die tonight! Not gonna die. Not gonna die. Not gonna die. Not gonna die. Not gonna die tonight!"

"It was awesome when they echoed each other in the song," Clawd said.

"Not only were we one of the top three states, but we are tied with New York for first!" Lagoona read. "Now, I hate to be mean or rude in any way, but New York wasn't that...good. She only got in because her father was a lead judge. The tiebreaker- in parenthesis, or finals- are on the 6th day of April. I can't wait! I will write in you soon, if I don't die of excitement first. The 30th day of March in 2007."

"She always has the same ending to her entries," Frankie said. "I wonder where it came from." Lagoona gave Clawd the book.

"We went back to Carnegie Hall today," he read, "and the judges aren't deciding who wins- the other states are. The states already were divided in half. One of the states we got was Louisiana. In that state, there was a ghoul from my nightmare a while ago. She was the phantom ghoul! Operetta! It kind of freaked me out a little, but after the states were divided, Operetta and I talked a little bit and became good friends. She said that her friend, Fynn, was supposed to sing and she was support, but she never sang with him in Music Festival before, so Louisiana couldn't compete, much like some of the other states. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 3rd day of April in 2007."

"Talk about deja vu!" Operetta grinned. Frankie was given the book.

"We competed in Music Festival Finals today and won! Deuce and I sang 'What I Believe' and got tons more applause than New York did! Here are the lyrics."

"Here they sounded amazing live!" Operetta said.

"The world around me is lost in misery," Frankie read. "The only good I've got in my life is you. No meaning, no other reason. When everything feels wrong, I feel right with you. So madly, desperate, deeply obsessed. Your love is better than mine to me. Can I have this moment forever? Take me to the beginning. You are what I believe. I'll live and die for you. This is all that I need. When nothing is real, you are my truth. In the darkness, you shine. Can you keep me safe tonight? When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe."

"These lyrics are so sweet!" Draculaura smiled.

"When we started whole-hearted, I never needed anything or anyone else. I was broken – you made me whole again. The only one I trusted more than myself. So madly, desperate, deeply. I will live for you completely. Can I have this moment forever? Take me to the beginning. You are what I believe. I'll live and die for you. This is all that I need. When nothing is real, you are my truth. In the darkness, you shine. Can you keep me safe tonight? When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe. Believe in your love, believe in your life. Believe that you can put me back together on the inside. Chase all the fear away every time I speak your name. Take me – you are what I believe. You are what I believe. I'll live and die for you. This is all that I need. When nothing is real, you are my truth. In the darkness, you shine. Can you keep me safe tonight? When I'm down on my knees, you are what I believe."

"Whoa...No offense, I don't love Howleen that much!" Clawdeen said. "Not like that."

"Well, we won," Frankie said. "World is in May, so we can leave for home. Deuce, and I are taking a plane back to Oregon, while Seth and Lamia are going to Greece. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 6th day of April in 2007." Frankie gave Clawdeen the book.

"Viperine left Oregon today," Clawdeen read. "She took a cab to California from Oregon, so she could go to her trailer for movie sets, since she is the make-up artist. I have a feeling Dad was just waiting for her to leave. I will write in you soon, if I don't die first. The 12th day of April in 2007."

"If her dad was just waiting for Viperine to leave..." Jackson trailed off.

"Uh oh," Frankie said.

"One entry left," Clawdeen said. "The one Deuce wrote." Ghoulia groaned.

"Ghoulia's right," Draculaura agreed. "Cleo, you should read it."

"Alright," Cleo said, accepting the diary from Clawdeen.

"This is a weird feeling," Frankie said. Her bolts sparked. "I'm excited to hear what happens, and I'm sparking at the bolts to find out, but I know she dies, so it's sad. I don't know how to feel."

"I'm scared," Lagoona admitted.

"I am too," Abbey agreed. "Need to read though."

"Alright, this will be the last time anyone will write in here," Cleo began. "I know, I shouldn't be writing in someone else's diary, but if you are reading this, you shouldn't be left hanging, wondering why she stopped writing. Madison died today. We were at the cemetery near Ianthe's grave when Dad came. He hurt us a bit and stabbed Madison in the back with a knife. He told us we had five minutes. During that time, we talked a bit and she asked me to sing to her. She also told me she felt Ianthe's presence and that she was sitting next to me. I could've sworn I felt her wrap her arms around me and say, 'She'll be in good hands with me forever,' but no one was there. Madison died in my arms. Her last words were, 'I'm sorry. I'll see you on the other side. Stay strong because no one else will.' Dad threw us in the trunk of his car, put her in an alley, and raped her corpse. He made me watch him douse her in lighter fluid and set her on fire. Besides Caleen, I'm the only one left, and he's coming after me next. I wonder how long it'll be before I'm with Mockingbird and Violet forever. Deuce Gorgon. Tuesday, April 17th, 2007." Cleo stopped reading to look up at the group with wet eyes, only to see she wasn't alone. everyone else was crying as well.

"Poor little girl; still waiting for her happy ending," Clawdeen cried.

"How?" Clawd yelled. He punched the door, leaving a large dent in it. "How could anyone do that?"

"That's got to be the worst way to die," Draculaura sniffled.

"That makes me feel dirty. Like I need to go take a shower," Abbey said.

"Deuce saw this happen," Jackson added. "He still has to carry this burden with him."

"And he knew that the father was coming after him," Lagoona included. Tears welled up in her eyes.

Frankie put her hand on Lagoona's shoulder. "Lagoo-"

"Rack off!" Lagoona yelled, shaking Frankie's hand off her. "This bloke gave her a gobful! Who are we to come in and expose everything for her? For this whole family!" She viciously wiped her tears, but more and more kept flooding in. "What kind of cobbers are we?"

"Why hasn't he told us?" Frankie asked, wiping her multi-colored eyes. "He obviously needed to tell someone."

"Frankie," Clawdeen said cautiously, "it seems like a touchy subject."

"If I were him, I wouldn't want to bring it up either," Jackson said.

"We need to find out his side of the story," Frankie said. "It can lead us to better information of Madison and give us more information on what happened." The group looked at each other for a moment before Clawd sighed.

"We can try if you want," he said. He stood up and looked Frankie in the eye. "But don't be surprised if he doesn't say anything."

"Alright, then what are we waiting for?" Frankie said. "Let's go!"

* * *

 **So now we all know how she died. What do you think? Too gruesome? Oh, and watch for the foreshadowing. It's more important than you realize. _Wink. Wink._**

 **Lagoona uses some Australian slang in here, so as a quick guide...**

 **Bloke: man**

 **Cobber: friend**

 **Give a gobful: to abuse**

 **Rack off: Get lost! or Get out of here!**

 **The title is from "I Have A Problem" by Beartooth.**

 **Oh, and here is the list of songs used for this chapter:**

 **"Missing" - Evanescence**

 **"Imaginary" - Evanescence**

 **"Hero" - Skillet**

 **"Snow White Queen" - Evanescence**

 **"Not Gonna Die" - Skillet**

 **"What I Believe" - Skillet**


	6. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Waking Up is Knowing Who You Really Are

* * *

 **So it's time for Deuce's side of this whole pandemonium. Believe me, it's just as crazy as Madison's.**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

"You want to do _what_?" Lamia's ice blue- almost clear- eyes widened. Seth returned the same glance to the group. They all stood on the Gorgons' porch outside. The night sky was a dark navy with diamonds littered all through it.

"I said we want to find out Deuce's side," Frankie repeated, looking as nonchalant as she felt. The siblings looked at each other before looking back to her. Suddenly, Seth laughed. As the group stared at him, he stopped.

"Oh," he said, "you were serious." He looked directly at Frankie, all seriousness appearing in his gray eyes. "You're safer pricking your finger and scuba diving in a shark tank."

"You're safer getting run over by a car," Lamia added, "which his dad did to him, so I hope you understand how serious this is."

"Where is Deuce?" Cleo asked.

"In the bathroom with Viperine," Lamia answered, biting her lip in thought. Cleo's eyes bugged out as Seth smacked his sister.

"Lamia!" Seth choked out. "Viperine is molding his hand. Special effects makeup, you know?" Cleo nodded.

"Still!" Lamia said. "I would NOT suggest asking him."

"Besides," Seth said, "he wouldn't want to tell you."

"Yeah," Lamia agreed, "it'd be a waste of your time, our time, and his time."

"Can we at least try?" Frankie asked. The siblings looked at each other before Lamia sighed.

"I won't say I told you so," she said, opening the white door and allowing entrance. The team hurried into the house and up the stairs to the room Lamia and Seth were in before the team showed up, the room they first saw them. After a moment of silence, Lamia asked, "What do you plan on asking him?"

"Pretty much 'what's your side of the story?' We can think of the rest as we go," Frankie shrugged. Lamia and Seth looked at each other again.

"Playing it by ear might not be your best bet," Seth admitted. "You might want to think about-" They were interrupted by Viperine entering the room.

"Mold's done," Viperine said. "You might want to think about what?"

"Why they're here at half past ten," Lamia lied calmly. Viperine shrugged.

"Actually, no, that's not why," Frankie said.

"Frankie," Seth pressed with gritted teeth.

"We'd like to find out Deuce's side of the story."

Viperine began laughing, then went serious and stopped. "I didn't realize you were being serious."

"That's what Seth said," Jackson mumbled.

"C'mon, mate," Lagoona said. She looked between Seth, Viperine, and Lamia. "Can't be that bad."

"I think we've already proved we know him better than you," Seth rolled his eyes. "I mean, none of you knew anything about-"

"That's not their fault," Viperine said to Seth.

"Still," Seth sighed. "I'm just worried for him."

"Each of you," Frankie said, "just tell us something. Anything."

Viperine sighed. "Alright," she said, "ask us something."

"What was it like after Madison died?" Clawdeen said without blinking an eye.

"It was rare Deuce would talk to us," Seth answered, "and it was never more than a few words at a time. Those words were very quiet. He remained silent."

"He would stare blankly at the wall, as if he was watching someone walk across the floor," Viperine added.

"He ignored the world and everything in it- including himself." Lamia picked at her fingernails.

"He became restless too," Viperine said. "It isn't like he got much sleep before, but it became much worse. Each night, one of us had to be near him, so we could find out when he fell asleep and to make sure he didn't do anything stupid."

Abbey nodded. "We found your planner."

"Did you read it?" The albino gorgon asked. Abbey nodded again. "Then, you already know how bad it was."

"He was also unbelievably inconsolable," Seth said.

"What did you mean before when you said he was watching someone?" Draculaura asked.

"Deuce would often say that he saw Madison," Lamia said. "He said she would sit by his bed. I said he was crazy."

"What else happened after she died?" Jackson asked.

"Mark also made up for Madison not being there. He gave Deuce whatever he would've done to Madison. We soon realized that when he wouldn't talk to us, it was because he'd been screaming and had no voice left. Or he'd been choked and couldn't get many words out. When he stared and was unfocused, it was because he'd passed out while his eyes were still open. He wasn't ignorant. He was just numb." Seth looked down. "He was always unconscious."

"Deuce died," Clawd said. It wasn't a question, just a comment. Seth nodded, still not looking up at them.

"What do you regret most leading up to his death?" Frankie asked. "And what even happened?"

Lamia suddenly tightened her jaw, clenching her teeth down together. She stood up and stormed out of the room without a word. The group got one last look at her eyes before she disappeared through the doorway. The crystals were red and watery, but mostly sad.

"What was that about?" Clawd asked. Seth and Viperine looked at each other before looking down at their laps again. The room was silent until Seth sighed.

"Things...happened leading up to his death," Seth whispered slowly. "Things that Lamia hates herself for."

"What did she do?" Lagoona asked. Seth stared at the floor for a while, trying to find the words to say.

"It was February. 2009," he began. "We came over to stay the entire month...just like we always did." He took a breath before looking up at the group. "It was only a few days into the month when he completely changed. At first, he was quiet and reserved, just as he had been when we'd last seen him in the summer. Then, he flipped. He talked more. A lot more. He was always really anxious."

"The biggest part was that he got really...clingy," Viperine added. "He did not want to be left alone."

"Lamia started being a huge b*tch to him," Seth said. "She hated how he needed someone with him. She hated having to feel like what she called a 'babysitter' to him." He took a breath. "We thought things were getting better," Seth said, his eyes beginning to sting. "On his fifteenth birthday, he was supposed to go to court. He was going to choose what parent got custody. I mean, that obviously would've been Aunt Medusa, so there was no doubt. But Mark was nervous. When he stopped hurting him, we thought it was because he didn't want to look like an abuser when he went to court. But the less he hit his son, the more panicky Deuce got.

"Lamia and I had to leave early. Dad was coming home for a week or two from service. Viperine left a day earlier than us- the twenty-fifth- for some makeup job. On the twenty-sixth, Lamia, Deuce, and I went to the airport. We were about to leave when Deuce broke. He begged us not to leave, and he was shaking. He looked petrified, to put it lightly. I felt horrible about leaving him, but Lamia was already fed up and screamed at him in the middle of the airport. She told him to 'man the f*ck up' and to 'stop being a depressed little sh*t.' She told him that he was dragging everyone else into his problems, and she called him a nuisance, and I think that definitely hurt him the most. When she told him to leave, he simply said, 'If that's what you want, I'll go.' He left and never looked back. We got home, and we weren't asleep for two hours before Mom woke us up and told us to get in the car. We drove back to the airport and flew back to America. We knew something was wrong, but we didn't know what had actually happened.

"We got to the hospital where Viperine told us to follow her. She brought us to the basement, which was a huge red flag on its own. Aunt Medusa stood outside a room marked with nothing but a number. Our aunts told us to wait outside, and they and Aunt Medusa went in the room. We asked what happened, but Viperine wouldn't tell us. She told us to see for ourselves. We went in the room when our moms left." Seth forced a tight, painful smile with closed lips. "It was the hospital's morgue. I didn't recognize him; it was horrible. I think we both saw the color drain from Lamia's voice as she screamed for him to wake up." Seth stopped and wiped his clammy palms on his jean-covered knees. "But he didn't. He didn't wake up." He stopped to wipe his teary eyes before continuing, "I don't know what went through her mind, but she grabbed a scalpel off a desk and sliced her right arm."

"Do you know anything about Gorgon blood?" Viperine asked. The team shook their heads. "Blood from the right arm can heal anyone or anything. A single drop from the left can kill in an instant."

"She dripped her blood in his wounds," Seth continued. "He awoke in the middle of the night a day or two later. His autopsy was scheduled for that morning...They said he wouldn't make it through the night."

"Okay," Viperine interrupted, "they're going to come in soon and realize we're talking about them behind their backs. I don't feel like being hated right now." Almost immediately, Lamia entered the room. She looked perfectly fine, her red eyes gone and her face not blotchy in the slightest.

"He's coming," She said quickly, shutting the door. "So shut the f*ck up. If he asks, we were talking about shampoo." The door opened, and Deuce entered, drying his right arm and hand with a hand towel. He stopped and looked at the group with a curious expression.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"What?" Lamia said mockingly. "I thought you liked having us here." She put her hand over her forehead dramatically. "I'm hurt."

"What? No. I meant them. Not that I mind, but did you even tell anyone you were coming?"

"No, and that doesn't matter," Frankie answered.

"We need to find out your side of the story!" Draculaura cheered. Deuce immediately dropped the towel and lowered his eyebrows.

"Quoted by Frankie, 'No, that doesn't matter.'"

"Thanks a lot, Frankie," Clawdeen mumbled.

"Why don't you want us to know?" Frankie whined.

"Can't trust group of ghouls to keep secret?" Abbey smirked, raising an arched eyebrow.

"We've known you forever," Clawd said. "You can trust us."

"Yeah," Jackson agreed.

"Plus we already know a lot about your sister, Madison," Ghoulia groaned. "Your side can't be much different."

"I know you've known me for a while, and you think my story is just like Maddie's, but it's really a lot different,' Deuce sighed. "I've seen things she'll never see and she's done things I'll never do. You're looking at two different standpoints. And Dad was arrested a few days before I turned fifteen. I've had almost two years of experience that was much worse than she'll ever face."

"Please, can't we ask you just a few questions?" Frankie asked.

"Fine," Deuce said. He sat down on the sofa. "I'll answer some of the questions." Seth raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes in shock.

"You ran away a lot as a kid," Frankie started. Deuce nodded, curious as to where it was going. "When was the first time you ran away?"

"I think I was five. Maddie and I were sitting on the bed. She'd gotten raped again. I asked her if she wanted to run away. I told her that he doesn't care and wouldn't notice anyway and not to act like she didn't want to. She thought about it for a few minutes before agreeing. I sneaked downstairs to see if there was any food that wasn't poisoned or too-badly expired or whatever. I returned to our room, and she'd already packed clothes and everything else we needed. We escaped through the bedroom window and were on our own. We were caught after a week.

"Why didn't you ever get help instead of running away?" Draculaura asked, though not viciously.

"It's not like I never tried," Deuce answered. "People didn't want to 'get into our business' or some bullsh*t like that. Not to mention, everyone favors normies more than monsters. It was clear from a young age who would win the battle."

"Do you miss her?" Lagoona asked. "Madison, I mean."

"What kind of question is that?" Deuce asked. "Of course, I miss her. She was my everything- she still is. Not a day goes by without thinking of her."

"Were there reasons why your father would...you know...hurt you?" Frankie asked cautiously.

"I would say it was the alcohol, but that's not entirely accurate. Mom told me a while back that Dad actually was close with his family, at least more than he is now. He had an older brother; his name was Michael. It's funny because he's Greek and all, but his mom- my yiayia- loves names that start with an 'm,' but her family had this tradition where all the kids would have American names, so they just went with it. So in order, there's Michael, Mark, Macey, and Monique. Anyway, Michael and Mark were super tight, and Michael died a few months after marrying Mom. He was one of the only people on Dad's side that was fine with my dad marrying a 'demonic whore.' So when he died, Mark was obviously really upset. He turned to alcohol and wasn't the same. He cut off all contact with family; they actually never knew he remarried after divorcing Mom. Hell, I don't think they even knew about the divorce. I know it doesn't, like, fix what he did or even make it right or whatever, but...' Deuce trailed off for a moment. "I don't know. I know it hurts to lose a sibling, especially one you'd give everything for. And he was just trying to find a way to not feel that pain." They were silent for a moment before Frankie cleared her throat.

"When Madison sings 'Lose Control,'" Frankie began, "she says, 'With all the pretty "flowers" in the dust.' Is she talking about the drugs that look like flowers around your dad's house?" Deuce knitted his eyebrows.

"How do you know...?" He quickly whipped his head to the side to glare at his cousins, "You took 'em there, didn't you?" He spoke with such a poison and danger in his voice that even Lamia backed up. His snakes hissed in anger. Seth stood up.

"Deuce-"

"I can't even trust you now!" He shouted. He stood up, sinking his nails into his palms.

"Why does it bother you so much anyway?!" Lamia yelled back. "It's just a f*cking house!"

"Do you know _why_ I can't stand that f*cking house?!" He hissed, "Kira, Jason, Ashton, Gwendolyn, Evangeline, and Roxie all died there. Why would I want to remember a place where I slowly died every time one of my half brothers or sisters lost their life in that piece of sh*t?! Why would I want to remember a place where I wanted to die more and more with every passing day because _I couldn't take it_. And the last thing I wanted was _them_ to go there," he said, pointing at the group. He flung his hands up in the air, the blood from digging into palms staining to the carpet. "Y'know what? Forget it! F*ck it. F*ck it! I don't care anymore!" He stormed out of the room, with his cousins at his heels. The group followed behind cautiously.

"Get your a*s over here!" Lamia shouted across the hallway.

"Why? Why should I?" Deuce jeered. "So you can remind me of every time he ever-"

"It's not what you think," Seth said in gritted teeth.

"Of course it is, and how is it not?! You went behind my back and showed them the thing I wanted to hide most."

"You're being an a*shole about it!" Lamia raged. "It's a f*cking house!"

"A house that I don't even want to ever think about again!" Deuce snapped. "How am I being an a*shole when you are the douchebags who invade my past and torture me with it?! If I wanted to go there, I would've."

"Calm down," Seth said desperately. "We can fix-"

"Don't tell me you can fix it when it's your fault it's f*cking broken in the first place!" Deuce snarled.

"It's not like they think of you any differently than they did before," Viperine said, looking towards the group. "Isn't that right?"

"Yeah."

"Of course."

"Why would we?"

"You aren't any different."

"Yeah, you're still the same to me."

"Well, you could've asked me first," Deuce said. "Instead of leaving me to find out on my own, you could've said, 'We're going to your old house, okay?' But you didn't. No one mentioned about going to that house. Because oh no, why ask the one person that actually had a say in this. I thought I could trust you." He slammed the door shut and locked it.

"Godd**mit!" Lamia screamed, trying to yank the door open. She gave up and punched the door, leaving a dent. "I don't need your permission to go to a house you don't even live in anymore!" She ran her fingers through her white snakes, who were hissing madly. "Gods! He so f*cking stubborn, just like his mom." She turned to look at Seth. "You knocked a door down once with your shoulder. Can't you do it again?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Well, I was powered by adrenaline then."

"You can do it if you try hard enough."

"Just leave him alone," Seth said. His shoulders slumped as he sighed. "There's no point."

"We need to talk to him," Frankie said.

"She's right," Viperine agreed.

"It's not going to work!" Lamia spat.

"He's not going to say a word to you," Seth said. "I only know two people that can calm him down. One's dead, and the other's not at home right now."

"We all know it could take anywhere from hours to months to calm him down," Viperine sighed.

"Hours to months...?" Draculaura muttered. "Minutes?" Seth shook his head.

"Can I try?" Cleo said out of the blue.

"Sure," Lamia shrugged. "Might as well try. If he doesn't talk to you, don't take it personally. Just walk to the door. If he doesn't say anything, then leave the room. If he calls you, go ahead."

"Usually he's silent though," Seth said. "Don't get your hopes up too much. He's more tight-lipped about his problems than you'd think." Cleo walked to Deuce's bedroom door and knocked on it.

"Can I come in?"

No answer.

"That doesn't mean anything," Seth whispered. Lamia reached up to grab a key on top of the door frame. She put the key in the hole and unlocked the door. She opened it and let Cleo walk through. Lamia shut the door after Cleo was in the room.

"Deuce?" Cleo looked around but couldn't find him. She noticed the window was open, so she looked out the window before climbing up on the roof, where she found Deuce with his back towards her and his legs hanging off the roof. "Deuce?!" He turned around to see her run towards him. She grabbed his hands. "Oh my Ra! You aren't thinking about jumping, are you?" Deuce shook his head and looked back to the night sky.

"No," he said, "I've had too many bad nights on the roof to count- I will admit that, but this isn't one of them though. But it's always nice here." Cleo joined her boyfriend and sat beside him, letting her legs hang off the side.

"What are you thinking about?" Cleo asked after a moment of silence.

"I don't really know."

She waited another moment before sighing. "Can we go back to your room?"

"Not now. I don't want to face them yet," Deuce admitted. He lifted his legs and bent them so that he could put his elbows on his knees. Cleo stood up and went behind him. She stood directly behind him, her knees pressed to his back. She put her hands on Deuce's back behind his shoulders. She leaned down and let her hair fall down in front of his face. Cleo kissed the tip of his nose.

"They aren't there right now," she said. Deuce nodded, standing up and taking Cleo back to his bedroom. They sat on his bed, his head in her lap as she ran her fingers through his snakes. "Are you okay?" She asked after a few minutes.

"No, not really," Deuce mumbled. "But I can manage. I've done it before." Suddenly, his phone went off, and Deuce picked up his phone to read the text.

"Who is it?" Cleo asked as Deuce sat up.

"Mom." He read and answered the text before lying back down on the bed.

"I'm sorry," Cleo said, which was odd for her, giving that she never apologizes. "We shouldn't have went to your old house."

"Why are you sorry?" Deuce asked. "I'm the a*shole who's overreacting about my friends going to a house. Lamia's right. I don't even live in it anymore, so why should it bother me?"

"I mean, it's your privacy. And I've never seen you like this before, so it obviously means a lot to you."

"And you shouldn't have to see me like this." He sat up and faced Cleo, putting her hands in his. "Cleo, remember on Halloween? We went to that party in the catacombs with normies?" Cleo nodded.

"Yeah?"

"And I told you that family was complicated?"

"Of course."

"This is what I'm talking about. Mom and I don't always see eye to eye, Dad's in prison, he used to beat me, half my family is on the other side of the world, I barely know anyone from my dad's side, my parents hate each other, and all of my brothers and sisters are dead, except one, and I rarely get to see her. I just..." He took a breath, his face slowly turning pink. He put his face in his hands. "I just wanna feel okay again," he whispered, his voice breathy with emotion.

"Oh Ra, Deuce. Please don't cry," Cleo said, pulling his hands from his face and pulling him to her. He put his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling the scent of lilies. "It kills me to see someone as beautiful as you so sad. You don't deserve to be."

"It's the school. They're the ones that make us do projects about the dumbest things."

"It's giving me more information about your past. Were you ever going to tell me?" Cleo looked at him with big, sad eyes.

"I was, but as soon as I knew you'd never leave me," he sighed.

"You thought I'd leave?"

"Not many monsters would stay once they hear that my father is a textbook psychopath." He pulled away to look at her. "Cleo, once I turn 18, Dad is released from prison. I don't want him to hurt you."

"How do you know that he'll hurt the people you love?"

"It'll be the first thing on his mind. Well, after me anyway. Y'know, he always told me that on my fifteenth birthday, he would kill me, so I could join all my siblings. Well, maybe not for that reason, but that's what I told myself. Made me feel better. He didn't wait though. He thinks my birthday is February twenty-eighth." The couple sat in silence before Cleo interrupted.

"I have something to confess," she said, her voice quieting dramatically.

"Yeah?"

"On that night- February twenty-eighth, I was out walking around. My dad and sister were trying to 'properly educate' me about being a leader. I needed to get out of the house. I was passing your old house, when I heard screaming and I looked up. Through the window, I saw a boy with snakes for hair, bright green eyes, and covered in bruises. He was biologically my age, and I knew him from school- Deuce Gorgon. Well, you went by Deuce Jayne back then. My attention focused back on the yelling, and I knew it was coming from your father. I looked through the window from afar. I was shocked when I saw him whack you across the face with something. Even more shocking to me was how you simply taken the hit, like you'd known it was coming and had accepted it. I wondered what you'd done. I snuck around to the back of your house and looked through the clear door in the back of your house. I think it went from the living room to the backyard. There, I got a closer view of what was really happening. Your dad grabbed a beer bottle and smashed it against your head, breaking the bottom. He cut you with it. I watched in horror as I pulled out my phone. I called the police, telling them a man was abusing his son."

"That was you?!" Deuce asked.

"Yeah..." Deuce suddenly pulled Cleo into him, wrapping her in a tight hug.

"You have no idea how much that means to me," he whispered into her shoulder. "Thank you so much, Cleo. I can never repay you for that."

"You can't mean that."

"I don't know what would've happened if the police didn't come," Deuce said. "Dad could've done a lot more damage if no one called. No doubt, you saved the little life I had left." Cleo laid her head on Deuce's chest before continuing her story.

"There was a rope hanging from a balcony. I climbed it, and it led me to a stark white bedroom. The door was opened, so I went through it. I tried to go down the stairs as quietly as I could. I hid behind the couch as I watched in horror as he beat you. I heard yelling and screaming and telling him to stop, and I wanted to scream myself. Instead, I kept quiet, or tried to anyway." She stopped for a moment. "I saw it. I saw _everything_." Deuce dropped his head but didn't say anything. Cleo laced her fingers through his snakes and scratched the middle one, the one she knew was sensitive. "I don't know how you're okay."

"I don't necessarily think about it every other minute. I mean, all that's left are scars. It could be worse. I mean, Gwen's missing her finger." Cleo paled as Deuce laid his head on his pillow in silence. They stayed like that for a moment before Cleo leaned up.

"By the way...we're taking you to the cemetery tomorrow." Deuce shot up out of the bed.

"Wait, what?! Why?!"

Cleo waited a moment before saying, "I promised I wouldn't give any more information than that."

"Great," Deuce said, swinging his arms in the air in frustration. "They just want to see me break down in front of everyone." Still sitting down, he leaned forward.

"No, I promise that's not the real reason why," Cleo said, rubbing his back.

"The house and now this."

"You were keeping your secret from me too!" Cleo retaliated.

"Out of fear!" Deuce turned around to look at her. "Fear that Mark could hurt you! You're doing it for a totally different reason!"

"I'm doing it because I..." She stopped talking trying to find the words to say.

"What? 'Cause you what?" Deuce pressed mockingly. Cleo kept silent, not knowing what to say or how to react. She couldn't see the fury in Deuce's eyes, but she heard it in his voice. "Y'know what?! Forget it! I don't f*cking care anymore. I'm going back to the roof, and maybe I will jump off like I wanted to in the first place." He stood up. "Maybe Gwen will win," he mumbled. "I'm tired of this," he said in a normal volume. "I'm tired of these secrets. I know, I shouldn't have hid my past from you in the first place. I get it. It was wrong. But it doesn't make anyone else right. Everyone thinks I'm such a happy person and I have it all together. What they don't know is I'm dying on the inside. I don't have it together. I'm falling apart. And no one really cares because they're all too busy hiding things." He climbed out the window and onto the roof, leaving Cleo alone. She put her face in her hands and began to cry. She heard someone knock on the door before entering. Seth slowly walked into the room and knelt before Cleo.

"What happened?" He asked gently.

Cleo wiped her eyes before answering. "He's back up there."

Seth nodded and stood up. He went to the window and climbed out. He used the gutter to climb up onto the roof. There, he found Deuce sitting on the edge. "Are you okay?"

"Go away," Deuce said, not bothering to even look at his cousin. "I don't want to talk to you right now."

"I know you don't mean that. Y'might not want to, but you sure as hell need to." Seth sat down beside Deuce. "So what happened?"

"You know what happened!" Deuce hissed. "Don't even try to pretend you don't!"

"Calm down. I meant with Cleo." Deuce didn't answer. He looked down at his lap. "You need to talk about it, and I need to know. What happened?" He rubbed Deuce's back, and Deuce tensed up immediately but relaxed soon after. Suddenly, he sighed.

"Remember on February twenty-eighth, when...that happened?" Seth nodded. "We talked about that."

"I know you don't like bringing it up. Is that why you're upset?"

"No," Deuce said, turning to look at Seth. "Why are you taking them to see Madison and everyone else's grave? And don't you dare lie to me."

"I don't want to spoil the surprise, now, do I?" Seth smirked.

Deuce still stared at Seth, seriousness etched across his face. "Positive or negative?"

"Positive."

"How can I trust you?"

"Lamia is thinking about kidnapping you tomorrow. If you get out of the house early, you don't have to come if you don't want to."

"I need more than that." Seth sighed, knowing it meant Lamia would snap at him for telling.

"Your zombie friend, Ghoulia, knows how to create a serum that will make a portal that can transport you to the dead," Seth said. "We're seeing Madison and Ianthe and Gabriel and Lacie and Roxie and Ashton and Jason and Kira and Iris and all of them. We didn't tell you before 'cause we wanted it to be a surprise. I'm not lying. Please trust me."

Deuce nodded. "I trust you."

They sat in silence for a moment before Seth asked, "Did you want to come?"

"Like hell he's not," a voice from behind them said. It was clear and belonged to a female. Seth whipped his head around to look behind him. But no one was there. He looked towards Deuce for an answer, but his cousin seemed completely unfazed by the voice. Instead, he answered Seth's question himself.

"I'd be stupid if I said no."

"I don't want you to break down in front of everyone. That wasn't the objective here."

"I thought it was. I mean, with the house-"

"I didn't want you to think that."

"I know. I just-" Deuce wiped his eyes as his face starting turning red. "I just miss her. I miss them all so, so much."

"I know you do. It's okay. You'll see them all soon." They both heard footsteps and turned to see Lamia crawl up on the roof and join them.

"You okay?" She asked, her usual tone gone, replaced with one not as harsh.

"Yeah," Deuse nodded.

"I already told him about tomorrow," Seth said, reading himself for Lamia's tongue and arm to lash at him, but she only nodded.

"I need to go apologize to Cleo," Deuce said as he stood up.

"Alright. We're going to my room," Lamia said. Deuce nodded before climbing back into his bedroom. He saw Cleo on his bed crying. He crawled up behind her and hugged her from behind. She turned around and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have freaked out before. I'm just..." He trailed off, not knowing what word to use.

"Scared?" Cleo finished.

"Yeah."

"I am too." Cleo settled into his arms. "I'm...also sorry. I know we shouldn't have kept the secret from you in the first place."

"Speaking of secrets, Seth told me what's going on tomorrow."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. I'm scared and excited at the same time."

"Figured you would be. You get to see all your half brothers and sisters again, and even meet Ianthe for the first time."

"About that." Deuce scratched the back of his head. "I died on the way to the hospital. Maddie took me to a place where my sister, step-sisters, half brothers, and sisters were. It was awesome 'cause I hadn't seen some of them since we were young, like Lacie, who was two. I met Ianthe, and after about a day or two of being with them, weird things started happening. My skin started getting paler. I would go through certain things like a ghost might and soon my hands and feet start disappearing. I totally freaked, and none of my siblings knew what was going on. Parts of me starting vanishing, and I was petrified. On the third day, I disappeared. I woke up in a tight, metal box in pitch black. I felt peace for maybe a second before all the pain just came flooding in. I starting screaming because holy sh*t- everything was on fire. The doctors all freaked out as to why I was alive and pulled me out of the metal box- which I learned was the morgue. They sedated me because I was still screaming and thrashing around. I woke up again, but instead, everyone was surrounding me. Mom, Aunt Stheno, Aunt Euryale, Lamia, Seth, and Viperine were crowded around me."

"Did you ever find out why you were disappearing?" Cleo asked.

"Yeah, I did actually. Do you know about a Gorgon's arms?"

"The blood in the left arm is poisonous and can kill anyone or anything. The blood in the right arm can heal anyone or anything and can bring them back to life," Cleo said, thinking about what Seth and Viperine said earlier.

"Seth told me that the only time he's ever seen Lamia cry was when I was on that hospital bed. He said she climbed on the bed, grabbed a scalpel, cut a slit in her right arm, and dripped blood into my wounds."

"I never would've guessed it was her."

"I know. Me neither."

"Either way, I bet you're happy." Cleo tilted her head to the right, exposing her neck. Deuce kissed Cleo's neck, and she moaned in response. She pushed Deuce onto the bed and climbed on top of him. She sat on his stomach and put her legs on either side of him. Cleo leaned forward and kissed Deuce. Cleo moaned once more, letting Deuce slide his forked tongue into her mouth. His tongue traced hers until they remember to breathe. They break apart. Cleo grabbed Deuce's shirt and pulled it up over his head, exposing his abs. She traced his muscles, then got off of him and opened one of his drawers. She pulled out a Metallica shirt. "Can I wear this?"

"Sure," Deuce answered, raising an eyebrow. Cleo began undressing, and Deuce quickly sat up. "Whoa! Don't you want me to leave or something?!"

"No," she said. She leaned forward. "However, I'd like it if you watched," she responded seductively. Cleo pulled her blue shirt off, and her bandaged bodysuit followed. She took off her gold heels. She was left in a matching turquoise bra and panties with diamonds adorning the tops of each bra cup. There was a bandage design on her lingerie. The bra looked extremely close-fitting.

"That looks...tight," Deuce commented.

"Ugh! It is, but you don't want to look too appealing to drunken jocks," Cleo groaned. Deuce nodded. Cleo slipped Deuce's shirt over her head. Once it was on, Cleo reached underneath the shirt and unclipped her bra. She took it off from under the shirt. She put her bra in one of Deuce's drawers. "It's yours now."

"I can't keep your-"

"Yes, you can. I'll borrow Viperine's or Lamia's tomorrow." Cleo removed her jewelry and went into Deuce's bathroom. She washed her face and came back to see Deuce in the bed. She sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a bit as Deuce stared at Cleo as if she were the only one in the world worth staring at.

"Y'know, you don't have to wear that much makeup. You look absolutely beautiful without anything on." Cleo smiled. The couple laid down. They crawled under the covers, and Cleo put her head on Deuce's chest. Deuce put his hand on her back and softly caressed her. Cleo made a noise of pleasure and happiness, which made Deuce smile. Suddenly, Cleo bolted upright.

"I won't be able to sleep in the dark. No way, no how."

"There's a nightlight in the hall."

"So can we leave the door open?"

"I'd rather not," Deuce shook his head. "It's become a habit of shutting and locking the door before I go to sleep. There's some...unfortunate events that happened at night when I left the door open. Sorry, but I can't do that. I'll bring it in my room." Cleo noddes, and Deuce went to the hall and grabbed it. He went back to his room, plugged it into the closest outlet, closed the door, and shut off the light. "Is this good?"

"Perfect," Cleo smiled. Deuce laid down next to her, and Cleo put her head on his chest once more.

"Is your dad going to kill me?"

"No, I already told him I was spending the night at Frankie's."

"Good." Deuce nuzzled Cleo's hair, and Cleo moaned. He kissed her forehead, then nose, then cheek, then lips.

"Goodnight, babe."

"Mmm...goodnight."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Don't wake them!" Seth whispered.

"Why the f*ck not?" Lamia whispered back loudly.

"No idea when they actually went to sleep," Viperine whispered.

"Fine," Lamia whispered. She pulled out her phone and snapped a picture of Deuce and Cleo sleeping. As Seth raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. "Blackmail," she whispered. She put the phone away and pulled an air horn out of her bra. She pressed down on it, making it screech loudly. Seth rolled his eyes. Deuce quickly squeezed his eyes shut before opened them. Cleo flipped over onto her back.

"Why?!" Deuce asked.

"Good morning to you too." Deuce sat up, followed by Cleo. "We're still in our pajamas too. It's okay."

"How'd you-" Deuce began.

"Someone- _Lamia_ \- took the key from above your door and unlocked it," Seth answered. Suddenly, someone banged on the window.

"Did we lock anyone out last night?" Viperine asked, heading over to the window.

"No?" Seth answered, but it sounded more like a question than a statement.

"What I'm wondering is how they got up here," Deuce said. "My room is on the third floor." The window is banged on again. Viperine pulled the window open, and immediately, a figure fell onto the gorgon.

"Oh my gardenia! I'm sorry!" She stood to her feet before helping Viperine up. The girl had long, wavy, caramel brown hair that was pulled into two pigtails that end mid-torso. Her bangs were parted to the left side. She had a blue delphinium tucked behind her right ear, its petals looking healthy and bright. She was wearing a green, v-neck dress that ended mid-thigh. It had layered leaves at the bottom. She had green, knee-length boots that had grass at the top. She wore dangly, green, leaf earrings, a blue butterfly with green wings on a necklace, and two leaves covering around her arm between her wrist and elbow on both arms. She had sun-kissed skin, bright green eyes, and crimson lips.

"I was wondering who could climb up three stories," Deuce grinned. "Obviously, it's you."

"You know her?" Draculaura asked.

"Course," Deuce said climbing out of his bed. The girl hugged him tightly before poking his six pack.

"You've still got that weird scar," she whispered to him, scraping a contorted scar hidden in his abs with her fingernail.

"That's the beauty of scars," Deuce said. "They don't go away."

"You've made quite an appearance," Cleo said borderline angrily, seeing the stranger holding her boyfriend, touching his muscles, and whispering to him. At Cleo's words, the girl let go of Deuce and smiled.

"Who are you?" Frankie asked.

"I'm Caleen. Caleen Lily," the girl smiled.

"You're Caleen?" Draculaura said in awe.

"Sure am."

"You're like, a legend!" the vampire awed.

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Caleen laughed.

"If you're a monster, how come we haven't seen you at Monster High?" Frankie asked. "Do you go to another monster school?"

Caleen giggled. "Well, for one, do I look like a monster to you?"

"Do I look like a monster?" Jackson retorted.

"No, I guess not," Caleen said with a smile, "but I also got in trouble at a school for monsters when I was young."

"By the way, when Caleen says that, she shouldn't have gotten in trouble for it," Viperine said.

"What did you do?" Frankie asked.

"I may or may not have told the teachers about Dad. He wasn't too happy, so instead of explaining himself, he pulled me out of school entirely. Wasn't allowed back at a school for monsters since. I learn at the Grand Oak."

"The Grand Oak?" Abbey asked.

"I've heard of there before," Lagoona said. "Venus will go there occasionally. Isn't it almost like a school or something for dryads and stuff?"

"Oh, I love Venus," Caleen sighed. "She's such a doll. But yes, it is."

"Oh, but you know he didn't just pull you out of school," Deuce said.

"Okay, maybe not, but something tells me they don't want to hear gory details," Caleen rolled her green eyes. "And it wasn't _that_ bad. It was just painful because I was locked indoors and couldn't go outside."

"I know you're a morning person, but why have you come?" Lamia asked. "It's seven in the morning, and none of us are morning monsters."

"Well, you woke us up," Cleo mumbled. Deuce kissed her hair.

"My cemetery flowers are gone. Again."

"Do you mean that they died?" Frankie asked.

"No," Caleen said. She shook her head, and her long pigtails swung back and forth. "For some reason, they always disappear. They never die. But disappearing won't stop me. I figured you might want to come, but none of you are even close to ready."

"And you thought we'd be?" Seth asked, laughing.

"No, I planned to scare you once you woke up," Caleen joked.

"Wanna wait while we get ready?" Viperine asked.

"Sure," Caleen agreed. "Outside?"

"That's fine," Seth said.

"Actually, you know a sh*t ton about Madison," Lamia said thoughtfully. "How about they come this time?"

"Works for me," Caleen smiled. "You?" Everybody nodded. "Kay. Then, it's settled."

"You chumps can borrow our clothes," Lamia said to the group.

* * *

Cleo, Clawdeen, Abbey, and Operetta followed Lamia into her room. "Welcome to my lair," Lamia said, walking over to a drawer. She opened it up. She picked up a black shirt with a white skull, red heart, and Ed Harley written in green cursive on it. The sleeves were made to look like tattoos. Lamia threw it at Clawdeen. "Like it?"

"Yeah."

"It's yours for the day." Lamia then picked out a hot pink tee with two ice cream cones on it. The one on the right was light pink, on its side, and spilled, with x's for eyes. The one on the left was light gold, and it was screaming, 'NOOOOOOO!' Lamia tossed it to Abbey. "Well?"

"I like." Lamia then chose a white short-sleeved graphic tee with black sleeves. It had a mug shot of Alice from Alice in Wonderland. Alice had stretched earlobes, nose piercing, a tattooed neck and fingers, and piercings under her eyes. She was arrested for drug offenses. Lamia threw the shirt at Operetta.

"I like that one." Lamia chose a black, short-sleeved belly shirt. It had 'BOY LONDON' written in gold letters. There was an eagle in the O's hole. Cleo got the shirt thrown at her as well.

"I can pull this off."

"I know you all want to go around with only a shirt on," Lamia said sarcastically. "It's time for da pantz." Lamia opened another drawer and threw many different bottoms on the bed. She put four leggings, six pairs of pants, two jeggings, three tights, five shorts, and one skirt on her bed. "Choose your pick." Clawdeen picked a pair of bleached, ripped jeans. Cleo chose bleached, ripped booty shorts. Operetta chose leggings with vertical black and white stripes. Abbey chose ripped, ombre booty shorts that were yellow on the waistline, fade to orange, hot pink, and a bit of purple at the end.

"We're good, ghoul," Clawdeen said.

"'Kay," Lamia said. "You can use the closet, bathroom, or my room. However, you!" Lamia stopped to point at Cleo. "Go retrieve Frankie. She's in Viperine's room."

"Fine," Cleo shrugged. She left Lamia's bedroom, while Clawdeen went into the bathroom, Operetta went into the closet, and Abbey began undressing.

* * *

Viperine led Frankie, Lagoona, Draculaura, and Ghoulia to her room. Viperine opened her closet door. "What's mine is yours," she smiled.

"We can pick anything?" Frankie said.

"Anything that is your size," Viperine nodded. Frankie pulled out a floral, white, mid-thigh dress with pink flowers with green stems and leaves. There were ruffles at the bottom and the sleeve hung under the shoulder. A piece of fabric went over the shoulder however. Draculaura choose a pink dress. It ended mid-thigh, had a bow on the neckline, and a translucent fabric for straps. It was covered in white polka dots. "My pearls go great with that!" Viperine picked up a long pearl necklace and put it over Draculaura's head. She took one side of the necklace, put it over her head again, then repeated. "There. That's the way it looks best." Lagoona picked out a knee-length, blue dress. The dress had royal blue straps that matched the chest area. The middle of the dress was light blue, then faded to the same royal blue at the bottom. Ghoulia picked out a plum, short-sleeved dress that ended mid-thigh. It had a creme belt with a bow in the middle. "Another necklace needed." Viperine handed Ghoulia a necklace with many flower beads in random places.

"We're all ghouls that change in the locker room at school together," Frankie said.

"I'll lock the door," Viperine said. She walked over to the door and locked it. "You can start changing." Immediately, someone knocked on the door. "Hold on. Don't start yet." Viperine unlocked the door and opened it. Cleo stood in the doorway.

"Frankie! Lamia needs you," Cleo said.

"Okay," Frankie nodded. "Be right back, ghouls."

"Take your clothes!" Viperine called after her. Frankie took her clothes, and she and Cleo left. Viperine locked the door behind them. "Now you can get changed!"

* * *

Cleo and Frankie entered Lamia's room. "What do you need?" Frankie asked.

"Can you go tell Seth and Deuce that we'll be in Viperine's room when we're done dressing?" Lamia asked.

"Wait, why did you need two of-"

"Okay," Frankie interrupted Cleo, and the two left the room.

* * *

Seth led Clawd into his room. "Alright," he said, "shirts." he opened up two drawers. "Are here. Pants." He opened another drawer. "Are here. As long as I'm not wearing it, knock yourself out."

"Thanks, bro," Clawd said.

"The shirt'll probably fit, but if the pants don't, go see Deuce. He's got a smaller waistline." Clawd picked out a red graphic tee that says, "CHOOSE YOUR AMMO." It had the three hand symbols for rock-paper-scissors. He also chose bleached, ripped jeans. Under the holes on the left side, there were red and white vertical stripes. There were horizontal red and white stripes on the right pocket. Under the holes on the right side, it was navy blue with white stars. The left pocket matched. "Good choice." Someone knocked on the door, and Seth called out, "It's open!" Frankie opened the door and walked through, while Cleo followed.

"We'll be in Viperine's room when we're all done changing," Frankie said.

"Alright, thanks," Seth nodded. The two girls left, and Seth turned to Clawd. "I'll lock the door on the way out. You can change in here." Seth grabbed his clothes and left the room, locking the door on the way out.

* * *

"Alright," Deuce said. "Anything specific you want to wear?"

"Uhh..." Jackson thought, "Anything, I guess."

"Well, I wouldn't let you walk around naked, if that's what you mean," Deuce chuckled. "Plaid?"

"Yes, please." Deuce opened a drawer and pulled out a buttoned-down, collared, blue, black, and white shirt with the sleeves rolled us to the shoulder. He handed it to Jackson.

"How's that?"

"It's good."

"Pants?"

"Put me in whatever you want."

"Black'll go best." Jackson nodded. "Mine's ripped, but it'll look awesome." Deuce opened another drawer. He pulled out a pair of black jeans with eight horizontal tears on each leg and a chain on the right side.

"It'll work."

"The jeans might not fit," Deuce said, pulling out clothes of his own. "If that happens, I'll either lend you a belt or you can borrow one of Seth's pants. His are bigger than mine though."

"Cool," Jackson nodded. Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Deuce yelled. Cleo and Frankie entered Deuce's room.

"We'll be in Viperine's room when you're done," Cleo said.

"Alright," Deuce said, "Are you dressing in the bathroom?"

"Uhh...Sure...?" Frankie said.

"Don't forget to lock the door. I'll take the closet, Jackson." Jackson nodded. Deuce picked up his clothes and went into his closet. Frankie and Cleo went into Deuce's bathroom.

* * *

"How'd you sleep?" Frankie asked as soon as the bathroom door was closed.

"Like a queen until that evil ghoul woke me up," Cleo groaned.

"Ask her to show you the picture later."

"What picture?"

"She'll show you." The two undressed before putting on their new clothes. Cleo noticed a door to her right and a door behind her.

"Hey...? Why are there more doors?" Cleo asked. Frankie opened the door behind them. It lead to the shower and toilet area.

"I like that design," Frankie said. "It's like a 'T.'"

"What about the other door?" Cleo asked, pointing to the door opposite to Deuce's. Frankie walked up to the other door and opened it. They walked into the pitch black room. Frankie found a light switch and flipped it. The lights came on, revealing the room. There were red walls and a black platform bed. There were silk black sheets and pillows on the bed. There was a black wardrobe that was painted with silver faces. Frankie pulled out her phone and began recording the room.

"Whoa..."

"This must be Madison's room," Cleo said, opening the wardrobe and thumbing through the corsets, jackets, long skirts, black jeans, and two pairs of knee-length, black boots. Cleo pulled a corset out. "What I'm wondering is how does someone have this tiny thing fit them? I'm not fat, but this is not enough!"

"Look!" Frankie said, pointing to an acoustic guitar, a black electric guitar, and a black microphone.

"She's a musician alright."

Frankie recorded her desk. There were many bottles of pills and frames with pictures. "Wow...That's a lot of medicine!" Suddenly, the lights shut off, and the ghouls gasped. A candle on Madison's nightstand started to burn. Frankie and Cleo looked into the mirror. Instead of their reflections, they saw a girl with tan skin, snakes for hair, and emerald eyes. She bared her teeth at the girls, and her snakes hissed as they fanned out in anger around her face. She then disappeared. The guitar started to play music.

"Now I will tell you what I've done for you." The voice was smooth yet clear and feminine.

"We need to leave!" Frankie cried to Cleo.

"Fifty thousand tears I've cried," the voice continued to sing. "Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you. And you still won't hear me." Cleo and Frankie looked at each other in fright. "I'm going under!"

"Come on!" Frankie yelled. Cleo nodded. "We need to get out of here!" They ran to the door, but once they reached it, it slammed quickly and locked. Three shadows appeared. One had a feminine figure and hissing snakes for hair. The second was a boy with horns and what looked like furry legs and a tail. The last one was also a girl like the first, but she had two, ginormous wings.

"Leaving so soon?" The shadow with the hissing hair- Ianthe- said.

"You just joined the party!" The boy- Ashton- said.

"How rude." The fairy- Evangeline- put her hand on her collarbone. Three more shadows appeared. The first looked like the boy from the first group of three. The second was a boy with a halo and wings, but unlike the fairy's wings, these were more bird-like with feathers. The last was a girl with low pigtails.

"I like the mummy," a deep voice from the horned boy named Jason said. "Nice features."

"Cleo's already taken," the angel boy- Gabriel- said in a smooth tenor voice.

"Deuce's ghoul," the girl named Roxie said.

"How do you know my name?!" Cleo shouted at the shadows. "And how do you know Deuce?!"

"She's onto us!" Ianthe said, jumping behind Gabriel's wings. Two more female shadows appeared. One had shoulder-length straight hair, and the other had two, extraordinarily long pigtails.

"What'd you think would happen?!" The one with straight hair- Gwendolyn- snapped. Her voice was deep for a female and scratchy.

"Cleo is angry!" The girl with long hair cheered loudly. "Heads will roll! So exciting!" She jumped up and down. "I've only heard the stories!" She said quickly. "I have yet to experience a real tantrum! Ooh, this is going to be fantastic! Especially with Jason's pride on the line!"

"Alessia Airabella Stratus! Do you want to cause a scene?" Gwendolyn hissed with gritted teeth. "And Roxanne Skylar Stratus! Control her!"

"Don't f*cking call me that," Roxie said. "I hate that name."

"I'm not exactly keen on Alessia either," Lacie agreed.

"Hey, Gwen!" Ashton said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Chill out! Whatcha yellin' for? She spoke. Deal with it."

"They know we're here!" Gwendolyn hissed. "They can tell them!"

Two more girls appeared. Both had teardrop-shaped horns. One had wavy hair though, while the other's hair was straight.

"What?!" The one with wavy hair- Iris- squeaked.

"He can't know!" Evangeline said, obviously frightened.

"They'll kill us twice!" The other girl with teardrop horns- Kira- panicked.

Lacie began hyperventilating. "He's gonna beat us and torture us and burn us like he did to MADDIE!" She cried.

"Dude, I'm fine," Madison replied calmly. "You burned too."

"I don't want that!" Roxie panicked. "I'm not in heaven, but it feels like it, since those first five years were hell!"

"Calm down, Leather and Lace!" Ianthe said gently.

"Violet, you've never lived to know what he can do," Jason growled.

"I don't need to live to know the harm. He killed me before I was even born. I was also always there, whether you saw me or not."

"Speaking of murder," Madison said, "when do you think Calla Lily and Deuce are going down? I can't wait any longer."

"That's awful! Why would you say that?!" Evangeline gasped horrified.

"Thinking out loud," Madison shrugged. "Whoops. I can't wait! Especially since that first time was a tease. But imagine having us all back. It'll feel like a family again. A nice, dysfunctional family."

"So nice!" Ashton grinned. "What a heartwarming conversation!"

"Uhh...Ghouls?" Frankie said.

"You still haven't answered my question!" Cleo said. "How do you know Deuce and me?!"

"She doesn't remember," Madison said.

"I don't...what?" Cleo said, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

Ianthe looked towards her identical sister. "Mockingbird, should we-"

"Not now," she interrupted, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Good things come to those who wait, my love...Well, good things also come to those who work their a*ses off for it."

"Later," Ianthe said. Madison nodded.

"I know, doll." Madison then appeared in the flesh to Cleo and Frankie. Frankie shrieked and fell backwards, not able to take her eyes off the gaping hole in the gorgon's chest and stomach. Yet, the mummy just paled. Madison gave a small, close-lipped smile. "Cleo de Nile and Frankie Stein, we will see you soon. Very soon, and I am looking forward to meeting all of you." Suddenly, the shadows and Madison disappeared, and the door unlocked.

"That was..." Cleo trailed off, at a complete loss for words.

"Weird. Horrifying. Voltageous!" Frankie turned to look at Cleo. "Come on. We should probably leave." They exited Madiosn's room and went into Deuce's room through the bathroom. Deuce and Jackson were already dressed.

"Coming?" Deuce asked, oblivious to what happened in the room next door.

"Yeah," Cleo nodded. The four of them left Deuce's room and went to Viperine's room.

* * *

"Alright," Lamia said when everyone was in Viperine's room. "It takes roughly thirty minutes to get to the cemetery. We can split up between the cars. Ghoulia, you have the thingymabopper, right?" Ghoulia nodded. "Perfect."

"And who's going with me to pick the flowers?" Caleen said, half of her body hanging out the window. Her torso and head hung out the building, her long hair brushing the sides of the house.

"Just the team?" Seth offered. "The rest of us can go pick up breakfast or something." Caleen nodded.

"Sounds good to me."

"Okay, are you ready to go?" Seth asked. He was rewarded with the nods of everyone. They hurried downstairs to the kitchen. Medusa was sitting at the table already.

"How was clubbing with the moms?" Lamia asked her aunt. Medusa scoffed.

"We didn't go clubbing," she answered. "Maybe if we were thirty years younger."

"Age is just a number," Seth grinned.

"Seth, that's only what pedophiles say," Medusa said. Lamia laughed and smacked Seth.

"Seth's a child toucher!" She laughed. Seth went to smack her back, but she quickly dodged the blow. "Watch out for Pedo! He's coming to touch your- Hey!" Lamia laughed as Seth tried to hit her again. "How do you make a kid cry twice?" She ran behind Medusa. "Once you've finished, you wipe the blood off on their teddy bear."

"Lamia, get the hell out of my house." Lamia laughed at her own sick joke as she stepped away from her aunt. Seth tried to grab his sister, but she stood up on the table. "Sit your a*s down." Lamia complied and got off the table.

"We're going out," Seth told Medusa. She nodded.

"As long as _someone_ doesn't stand up on the tables and get you kicked out, I'm fine with it."

"I'll hold her down," Viperine offered.

"We'll call her 'Bindperine,'" Lamia joked.

"Oh, ha ha," Viperine said sarcastically.

"As long you don't break anything, hurt anyone, or get arrested, knock yourself out," Medusa said. Deuce opened the fridge and pulls out spanakopita then ate it. "You realize you're supposed to cook that, right?"

"It's like pizza," Deuce said. "It's already cooked, so I can eat it hot or cold."

"I like it better cold anyway," Lamia agreed with Deuce. Deuce tossed Lamia a piece, who caught it. He shut the fridge door.

"I like it warm," Seth said, scrunching up his nose in disgust. "Cold tastes weird."

"Deuce, he's more like my son than you are," Medusa said.

"Only when it comes to food," Deuce pointed out.

"Looks too," Medusa added. "Your looks come from your father, and your personality comes from me. You're welcome." She looked through the window and saw Caleen making a horrifying face, one of poison ivy skin and crimson eyes. She screamed, and Caleen transformed back to her regular look and entered the kitchen. Medusa smacked Caleen's arm. "Godd*mmit! Caleen! Don't do that! It's early."

"I was going to do that to your son, nieces, and nephew," Caleen laughed. "It went horrific, and I fell on Viperine."

"Anyway, we'll see ya later," Seth said.

"Alright. If you get arrested, I'm not letting you out," Medusa said. "I'm keeping you there and letting you explain to your family how you got there in the first place."

"We aren't planning on getting arrested," Deuce told her.

"And I wasn't planning on having kids."

"I love you too," Deuce said sarcastically. The left, and Deuce slammed the door shut behind them.

* * *

"Can we record this?" Frankie asked as the team and Caleen walked though a garden that the dryad led them to.

"Uh...Sure...?" Caleen shrugged. Ghoulia started recording. "Alright, so I need a bunch of flowers. Like, almost two hundred. Actually, it's a hundred ninety-eight flowers," Caleen said. "We need eight Purple Dahlias, seven Marigolds, eleven Amethyst Sea Hollies, six Scabiosas, thirteen Forget Me Nots, sixteen Violets, nine Geum Blazing Sunsets, five Hibiscuses, two Spring Starflowers, and lots of roses. One hundred twenty-one black roses, six rainbow roses, and seven green roses. You don't have to find that color of roses, but we need a hundred thirty-four roses."

"Wow," Cleo said, grimacing as she felt her heels sink into the ground. "Why so specific?"

"This is very meaningful!" Caleen said. They waited a moment, but Caleen never added on to the statement.

"Well...?" Cleo asked.

"Besides the black roses, all the flowers I just named are the favorite flowers of all my brothers and sisters. The number of flowers they get depends on the age they died. Ianthe is the exception. She was never born, but her name means "violets", so that's what we give her. Whatever age she's supposed to be, that's how many violets we give her. Everyone gets a dozen black roses. Black roses signify death."

"That's cool," Frankie marveled.

"By the way, watch out for wasps," Caleen added.

"Alright."

"So what was Madison like?" Clawdeen asked.

Caleen sighed wistfully. "Madison..." she said, "I haven't heard that name in forever."

"We need everything we can get," Draculaura said.

"She reminds me of her mom," Caleen said. "Which is odd considering that everyone always said that Deuce was more like his mom and Maddie was more like her dad."

"Mrs. Gorgon said something...kinda...rude," Frankie said.

"Nah," Caleen shrugged it off. "Those Gorgons. They tend to state things how they are. They all do. But Deuce is used to stuff like that. He knows he's not supposed to be born. He knows his mom was a rape victim- not once, but twice. He knows this. We all do.'

"Doesn't that hurt, sheila?" Lagoona asked. "To know you're a mistake?"

"I like to think of it as 'accident,' not 'mistake,'" Caleen said. "And no, not really. A little at first, but you get used to it after a while. We all did. I mean-" Caleen stepped over a tree root. "We all are accidental on Dad's end. I was the only one who the mother wanted. There's one dryad per tree species, and the dryad man who had the eucalyptus was growing very old and was really sick. If he died before another dryad was assigned to his tree species, the entire species would die out. And think of the koalas! So Mother Earth had me a few days before the man died."

"Does she always get with normies?" Clawd asked.

Caleen nodded. "I know; it is a bit unexpected. However, some of our parents chose to have sex with him, not all of it was rape."

"But?" Frankie asked.

"We're not supposed to be here, but some chose to sleep with him," Caleen said. "Example. Jason and Ashton's mom was eleven when she first had Jason. Obviously it wasn't planned, but surprisingly, it wasn't forced."

"Seriously?" Clawd choked. Caleen nodded.

"I couldn't even imagine being a mother at eleven," Cleo said.

"It's crazy to think about, but yeah," Caleen said. "Fawn was twenty-six when she went to Mark's court case. Jason would've been fifteen, and Ashton would've been fourteen."

"How did that turn out?" Draculaura asked. "His court case, I mean."

"The half siblings you know...their parents all came. The mothers, their boyfriends or husbands, Iris and Kira's dad, whatever- all came."

"Where were you?" Jackson asked.

"Hospital. Deuce was getting his surgery done at the time, so I waited outside." Jackson coughed uncomfortably. "I was in the courtroom for about eight minutes. Just to go to the stand. I was a witness after all. Then, I left." Caleen pursed her lips. "Lamia, Seth, and Viperine went as well to the courtroom. Seth had said that Mark lied the entire way through, but Lamia noticed when the same question was given twice, and he gave two different answers for each one. Lamia exposed him, and he started pleading the fifth. Evidence was given to the judge, and Mark was locked up. Well, really he pleaded innocent, so the case took longer than a long time. Marisa pleaded guilty though on her first time."

"That annoys me so much," Clawd grunted.

A wasp then flew up to the team. Frankie tried swatting it away, but it took revenge and stung her. She squealed and sparked. Caleen noticed and quickly ran to a tobacco plant. She pulled off one of its leaves and yelped. She rushed to Frankie and put the tobacco leaf on the sting.

"Whoa!" Frankie said after a minute. "It doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Tobacco plants take the poison away," Caleen said.

"Ya screamed when ya took off the leaf," Operetta said.

"If anyone hurts a plant, they hurt dryads. My tree is the eucalyptus. If all the eucalyptus trees were cut down, I'd die."

"You hurt yourself to help me?" Frankie asked gratefully.

"Course!" Caleen said, as if she were surprised that Frankie would ask such a thing. "Deuce did it all the time, and Madison got really mad."

"Why?" Jackson asked. "He's keeping her safe."

"That may be true, but she wanted to keep him safe as well. They looked out for each other."

"That's sweet," Draculaura smiled.

"It was, but it annoyed Maddie how much Deuce wanted to protect her. He'd hurt himself just to make sure she was okay."

"Still totes cute."

"Did you see Deuce often after she died?" Frankie asked.

"A few times," Caleen answered. "He really went downhill. Most of when I saw him was when he went into his foster home alone. They did _not_ want him. At all. They chained him outside to the house like a dog, and I would sneak him food when I could. They caught me once, and they set up one of those traps that lines the entire yard with a laser. Do you know what I'm talking about?" The team nods. "Yeah, they set up those. I would tie the food to squirrels and hide up in the trees as the animals delivered it to him."

"He took her death really hard," Clawdeen commented. "I mean, if one of my siblings died, yeah, I'd be upset, but I'd get over it. No offense, Clawd."

"None taken," he said.

"Maybe," Caleen said. "But you have to remember that nobody else was there for him. Not his mom. Not his cousins. Not his teachers. No one. It was just Madison. If he needed something or someone, she was the only he could truly rely on to be there for him at that moment. So he didn't just lose his sister. He lost his partner in crime. His teacher. His nurse. His shoulder to cry on. His rock. His cheerleader. His best friend. He didn't just lose his sister. He lost his everything." They walked a little further, no one knowing what to say. "There's some dahlias."

"Were dahlias on your list?" Ghoulia asked.

"Only the purple ones. We need eight." Everyone dug before Frankie lifted one up in the air.

"I found one!"

"Me too!" Clawdeen added.

"Totes!"

"Bonzer!"

"Cool."

"I did as well."

"Found one."

"I got the last one," Caleen said. Everyone handed the purple dahlias to Caleen. She put them in a basket and gave the basket to a raven. The raven followed the group. A dove appeared up, and the group followed it. The dove led them to a group of marigolds. "Sweet! Thank you, Gabe!"

"How many do we-"

"Seven," Caleen interrupted Abbey. "We need seven." Jackson picked seven marigolds and put it in a basket carried by the dove. Everyone heard a hoot and saw an owl. It tilted its head and flew off towards many red roses. There, they saw a duck as well. "Pick as many as you can." Everyone picked many roses until there were a hundred thirty-four roses. The duck took all the roses and turned a hundred twenty-one roses black, six roses rainbow, and seven roses green. Caleen put twelve black roses in the basket carried by the raven and twelve black roses in the basket carried by the dove. She handed the duck and owl each a basket. In the duck's basket, there were all six rainbow roses and twelve black roses. In the owl's basket, there were all seven green roses and twelve black roses. All the birds followed everyone.

"What up with the birds?" Operetta asked. The duck quacked at the mention of it.

"They're helping carry the flowers and lead us to them. It's a large garden, no matter how much time you spend here," Caleen answered. "Gwendolyn sent me the raven. Gabriel sent me the dove. Kira sent me an owl, and Iris sent me the duck. The duck changed the roses into different colors, but with Iris's help."

"That's nice of 'em."

"I guess they can't wait for some company," Caleen laughed. "They can't wait for you to come see them. I imagine it gets boring. And lonely, even with all the family in there." She heard a ticking noise come from the basket, and she turned to see a hummingbird pecking at the basket. The hummingbird then flew off to a bunch of scabiosas. "We need six." Cleo picked the desired amount of flowers- a mix of blue and purple- before placing them in a basket with twelve black roses. Caleen handed the basket to the abnormally strong hummingbird, who could somehow carry it.

"How many more?" Cleo asked.

"Forty-five more flowers." Caleen stopped and listened, and everyone stared at her as she didn't move a muscle. "Do you hear that?" Everyone shook their heads. She kept listening for just a bit more before moving. "'Enjoy the Silence!'" She said. "Madison loved that song." Caleen chased off after the humming. Frankie shrugged and went after her, and everyone followed suit. They saw Caleen standing before a mess of blue flowers. A gray mockingbird sat in the middle, singing softly.

"What kind of flowers are those?" Frankie asked.

"Forget-Me-Nots," Caleen answered.

Cleo rolled her aquamarine eyes. "How ironic."

"We need thirteen," Operetta said. Everyone picked one of the blue flowers, except Cleo and Operetta, who picked two. The mockingbird took all the Forget-Me-Nots and put them in a basket with a dozen black roses. The bird carried the basket, and led them to a blackbird. The blackbird had sixteen violets in its mouth. The blackbird dropped the violets in a basket with a dozen black roses. Like all the other birds, it carried the basket. A blue jay swooped over Frankie and the ghouls. He flew to a patch of Geum Blazing Sunsets. Next to the flowers, there were Amethyst Sea Hollies and an eagle. Caleen picked nine red flowers and eleven purple flowers. They each went in a basket with a dozen black roses. The baskets were carried by the birds.

"Seven more!" Caleen called. As if on cue, two birds immediately swooped in. They were a cardinal and a swan. They led to a bunch of red and baby blue flowers. Caleen picked five, red hibiscuses, and two, blue star flowers. Each group went in a basket with a dozen roses.

"Are we done yet?!" Cleo groaned.

"Done picking the flowers," the dryad nodded. "We should go; the others are probably waiting for us." She took the baskets from birds, and suddenly, all the birds turned to ash.

"That was so voltage!"

"Fin-tastic!" Caleen went off towards to the garden's exit, and the others followed. The three gorgons were already waiting at the car when the crowd showed up. Lamia tossed Frankie and Operetta each a paper bag.

"There's breakfast," she said. "There should be plenty for all of you."

"What is it?" Clawdeen asked, opening the bag in Frankie's hands.

"Biscuits," Seth answered. "There's sausage, plain, I think chicken. There's also butter, jelly, and whatever if you want." As everyone piled in the car, they passed the bag around, each person taking what they wanted.

"Where's our next stop?" Caleen said, lowering the window to stick head out. She breathed a sigh of relief as she inhaled a gulp of carbon dioxide and exhaled oxygen, just as trees do.

"Cemetery," Lamia said. "You got all the flowers?" Caleen nodded, her pigtails swinging wildly. "Good."

"Calla Lily," Seth said from the driver's seat. "It's starting to rain. You might want to roll your window up."

"But that's when it's best," the dryad smiled, sticking out her tongue to taste the drops.

"If it downpours," Seth warned, "I'm bringing that window up myself." Caleen rolled her meadow green eyes and continued to enjoy the feeling of the rain on her cheeks.

* * *

"We're here!" Viperine called. Frankie perked up before shaking Clawdeen and Draculaura awake.

"Guys, we're here," Frankie repeated to the drowsy teens. Clawdeen nodded as Seth parked the car. Everyone pushed their way out of the car, anxious to stretch their legs. Frankie looked up at the rain. "My bolts are going to need some sort of protection or something."

"We've got a hoodie in the back," Seth said, reaching in the trunk to grab a black hoodie. He tossed it to Frankie, who quickly put it on and used the excess fabric to cover her bolts.

"It's a shame it's raining," Clawden said. "My hair's gonna poof."

"And my heels are going to get ruined!" Cleo complained.

"Let's hurry then," Frankie offered. They all walked through the entrance of the cemetery. Deuce felt his throat tighten. Seth sensed Deuce's discomfort and put a hand on his shoulder, rubbing circles into it with his fingers. "What are the numbers?"

"Madison is C47," Deuce answered. "Ianthe is C48. Evangeline is C49. Ashton is C50. Jason is C51. Lacie is C52. Roxie is C53. Gabriel is C54. Gwendolyn is C55. Kira is C56. Iris is C57."

"Thank you," Frankie said and nodded. Everyone trudged through the grass up through a hill. Suddenly, Lamia stopped and started laughing. Everyone stopped to turn and stare at her.

"What's so funny?" Seth asked.

"Look at this headstone." They went to look at the headstone that Lamia stopped at. It read, "Here lies David Blaine. 1973-2007. He thought we'd dig him up after a few days. Tee hee." Lamia laughed loudly. "I love it!" Seth looked at the one next to David Blaine's and tapped Lamia's shoulder.

"Well, this one says, 'Here lies Ezekiel Scream. Age 102. Only the good die young.'"

Lamia couldn't contain herself. "I'm gonna pee myself!" She cried.

"We aren't here to look at stupid headstones!" Deuce said.

"I know, I know, but-" She was interrupted by her laughter. Deuce rolled his eyes and kept waking up the hill. Everyone followed him, and Lamia quickly recovered to join them. They reached the top of the grassy hill where there was only one row of graves. On the left, there was a weeping willow. In order from left to right, Madison, Ianthe, Evangeline, Ashton, Jason, Lacie, Roxie, Gabriel, Gwendolyn, Kira, and Iris were lined up. Deuce's eyes stung as his face quickly began turning red.

"Are you okay?" Seth whispered to his cousin. Deuce nodded, wiping away tears.

"You sure?" Viperine asked. Deuce nodded again. This time, Cleo grabbed Deuce's hand and squeezed it.

"Look at the headstones," Clawdeen said, pointing to the stones in front of them.

"'Iris Iraine Pallen-Roygip,'" Draculaura read. "'We can still see you riding the rainbow to hope.' That's sweet."

"'Kira Rainey Pallen-Roygip. If there ever comes a day when we can't be together, keep me in your heart; I'll stay there forever.'" Frankie felt her heart wrench as she read that.

"'Gwendolyn Evie Demõn,'" Clawd read. "'Just make sure you get your revenge.' What kind of inspirational quote is that?!"

"Yeah..." Lamia shrugged. "Amaranthe always acted like the hot-heated, fiery-tempered demon she was born to be." Clawd scoffed.

Jackson read, "'Gabriel Angelus Halo. Just whisper my name in your heart, and I will always be there.'"

"'Roxie Skylar Stratus,'" Clawdeen read. "'The wind that gave me my first breath also received my last sigh.' I really like that!"

"'Lacie Airabella Stratus,'" Abbey read. "'Rest with clouds of cotton candy and dreams that form reality,'" Lagoona read.

"'Jason Jael Buck,'"Operetta read. "'We'll meet you there when the time comes.'"

"'Ashton Faunus Buck. Your life may have been short, but you made it memorable,'" Frankie read.

"'Evangeline Pixie Wings,'" Viperine read. "'Reality depresses me. I need to find fantasy worlds and escape in them.'"

"'Ianthe Gorgon,'" Cleo read. "'Even in death, our love goes on.'"

"'Madison Gorgon,'" Deuce read, tears threatening to slip out. "'Sweet sleep, my dark angel. Deliver us from sorrow's hold.'" Cleo gripped his hand tighter.

"Hey, Calla Lily's right," Seth said, pointing to the indents on the graves. "There are marks from the flowers, but no actual flowers."

"Oh well," Lamia shrugged.

"We got more!" Caleen pointed out. She held up the baskets before placing the flowers on their designated graves.

"I'll start recording," Ghoulia groaned. She pulled out her recorder and began recording.

"Ghoulia, do you have the serum?" Frankie asked. Ghoulia nodded.

"Of course!" She handed Clawdeen her recorder and pulled out a beaker full of a bright orange liquid. There was a cork on top of the beaker. "It's all ready, it just needs to be heated up."

"Heated up?" Frankie asked. "How are we supposed to-"

"I always carry a lighter!" Lamia grinned. She dug into her bra and pulled out a lighter. She lit a flame as Ghoulia removed the cork. Lamia held the lighter under the beaker.

"It's ready!" Ghoulia grinned. She poured the orange liquid on the row of graves. A portal suddenly formed on the ground.

"Time to meet the family," Frankie said. Everyone jumped through the portal, and it closed behind them.

* * *

 **Well, this happened...**

 **So how's Caleen? Yay or nay?**

 **Some of the headstones are song lyrics. The songs used are:**

 **"Even in Death" by Evanescence**

 **"My Heart is Broken" by Evanescence**

 **The song title for the chapter is "Exodus" by Evanescence.**


	7. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Thnks fr th Mmrs

* * *

 **We're about to meet Maddie and the group! Are you excited?!**

 **The first song used for this you really need to listen to.**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

They stepped out of the portal and looked around. The location was tight and dark- so dark they couldn't even see each other.

"Where am I?" Lamia said, walking around before she hit a wall. The wall began to glow, and everyone looked over to it. Cleo quickly ran to it, trying to regain tranquility, as her fear of the dark was surely becoming prevalent.

"Thank Ra. Some light!" She said. Frankie sparked immediately, and the electricity gave off more light.

"Keep doing that, Frankie!" Seth called to the lab creation. Suddenly, everyone heard a voice coming from far away. A light went on near the voice, shining over a grand piano. They all began walking towards the light. A figure walked to the piano with such a grace about her. She was skinny, and her arms were nicely tanned. She had green snakes akin to Deuce's, but hers were pulled into low pigtails with snakes on the side that weren't in the pigtails sticking out downward. She wore a red corset and a long, black skirt that swayed as she walked. Yet, the most noticeable feature about her was a large, gaping hole in her chest and in her back. She stopped at the piano before singing. Her voice was melodic and stunning, smooth yet had a perfect balance of strength and frailty.

"Is that her?" Frankie asked.

"Oh my gods..." Deuce murmured, not being able to take his eyes off her.

"Maddie," Lamia choked out, her voice hoarse with emotion. Madison continued singing despite the attention.

"Mockingbird!" Seth yelled. Madison still couldn't seem to hear them, and another figure stepped next to the piano. She looked identical to Madison, except she wasn't as slim, she didn't have bloody holes in her body, and her snakes were left down to curl on her shoulders. She wore a light blue corset and a matching black skirt. As Madison continued singing, the other girl joined in, her voice just a magnificent as the other's.

"Who's that?" Viperine asked.

"Ianthe!" Deuce yelled, trying to go in their direction. Neither girl could hear him though as they continued to sing. "Violet! Mockingbird!" Yet, they still couldn't hear Deuce calling and kept singing. Suddenly, the music got choppy and stopped for only a second. Dramatically, an electric guitar, drums, and bass were added to the music, the lights flicked on instantly, and everyone's outfit changed into something more formal. Mirrors lined the walls, and everyone stood next to their own mirror, looking at themselves.

"Fin-tastic!" Lagoona said, staring at her attire. She wore a blue, strapless mermaid dress with a sweetheart top. The point of a pink starfish stood where the material was gathered. There were dark blue waves at the bottom of the dress. She wore a pearl accessories, including a bracelet, a necklace, and earrings. Her hair ended right before her bottom. Her blonde hair faded to a blue ombre at the ends. Her eyeshadow and eyeliner were blue, but her lips were green. It was flattering on her though.

"Whoa..." Abbey said, wearing a long-sleeve dress. It was different colors, each layer a different color. Purple was on the top, then white, blue, then it repeated. At the end of each layer, the fabric was cut into zigzags. Diamonds were sown all around the dress to look like shards of ice. She had bangs and a bun. Both were white, but the bun had blue, purple, and pink in the front. Abbey wore opal earrings. Her eyeshadow was blue, and her eyeliner and lipstick were purple.

"Ooh! I need a dress like this at home," Cleo said, marveling at herself like usual. Her outfit was a light orange, strapless dress with a sweetheart top. It had a large, diamond-shaped sardonyx where the material at the top gathered, forming the sweetheart top. Crushed sardonyx surrounded the largest stone, the scattering of orange fitting nicely with the rest of the dress. Cleo also wore a sardonyx bracelet, earrings, and necklace where the stone was triangle-shaped. Her hair was laced into a fishtail braid that sat on her shoulder on her right side. Cleo wore light orange eyeshadow, gold eyeliner, and red-orange lipstick.

"Gods no..." Deuce mumbled to himself, shock in his eyes. He wore a white tuxedo with a black shirt and ruby tie. His shoes were also ruby. His glasses were rimmed with gold. His hair was in his signature mohawk, but a snake had fallen over his eyes. The reflection in the mirror revealed Deuce with deep bags under black, swollen, red-rimmed eyes, and hundreds of cuts, scars, welts, bruises, and wounds on his skin. He looked down at his hands but couldn't see what the mirror showed.

"Oh my gods!" Lamia said, looking at herself. "Snake bites! I love you, Maddie!" She wore a purple, strapless dress with a sweetheart top. The light purple skirt had a spiderweb design. The shell of her ear was lined in piercings, with little gold hoops trailing down. The piercing on her earlobe was a thicker, slightly larger gold hoop. She also still had on her sapphire ring. She also still had her eyebrow piercing, but she now had a diamond nose ring and snake bites. Her hair was styled into a flipped hairdo. All her hair was tossed up onto her right side in a way that looked bada*s but still looked formal, and her left side looked like it was shaved from far away, but up close, white scales covered her scalp. Her lips were deep red, and her eyeliner was light purple.

"Huh," Seth said, "Well, look at that." He wore a light green tuxedo with a gold undershirt and yellow tie. His shoes were also gold and matched his shirt. His hair was styled so that he had bangs that sat in his face and the rest of his snakes were closer to his head.

"Wow..." Viperine said. She wore a Grecian-style sheath dress with a v-neck. It was pink, but the skirt had gold and pink ruffles to imitate scales. A large, golden scale sat on each shoulder where the straps were. Her hair was put into a high ponytail. She wore her kunzite ring as well, the pink stone matching her outfit perfectly. Her eyeshadow was pink, her eyeliner was gold, and her lipstick was pink. "That's really pretty."

"Cool," Jackson nodded, wearing a lemon yellow tuxedo with a dark gray shirt and white tie. The shoes matched his shirt. His glasses were gold, and his bangs were parted to his right.

"Sugar has good taste in clothes," Operetta grinned. She had a ruby red, sleeveless dress with white and black diamonds sown into it to resemble music notes. Her hair was wavy, red, and ombre, fading to black at the ends. She wore a treble clef, diamond necklace. Operetta's eyeshadow and lipstick were red, and her eyeliner was black.

"We look voltageous!" Frankie wore a sleeveless, sheath dress with a sweetheart top. It had a patchwork style and had squares of fabric of different colors, but they were all sown together out of thick, gold thread. The skirt had a slit on the side, revealing her lime green heels and her left leg. Frankie wore a bracelet and necklace made of gold beads. Her earrings were gold teardrops. Frankie's bangs were cut at an angle, and her hair was in a high ponytail.

"Fang-tastic!" Draculaura smiled, staring at her new red, ballgown dress with a gold skirt. There was one sleeve, and it sat on Draculaura's left shoulder. There were dozens of tiny, black fangs on the skirt. Her black hair was put into two braids. She wore a gold fang necklace to top it all. Her eyeshadow and lipstick were red, and her eyeliner was gold.

"That's awesome." Clawd wore a teal tuxedo with a white shirt and yellow tie. His shoes were yellow as well. His hair was spiky.

"Clawesome!" Clawdeen exclaimed, wearing a purple dress that was frayed at the end. The top was asymmetrical, and the right side had a long sleeve, while the left side was bare and sleeveless. There were diamonds in Clawdeen's hair, which was wavy with bangs. She also had a gold paw print necklace. Clawdeen's eyeshadow was purple, her eyeliner was gold, and her lips were plum.

"I love this dress!" Ghoulia groaned happily. Her brown mini dress had roots and worms at the bottom that went down to the floor. Her shoes were brown, and the heels were shaped as worms. Her necklace and bracelets were all pink worms. Her glasses matched her jewelry. Her blue hair was put into two high buns on top with curls casting down her back. Her eyeshadow and lipstick were red, but her eyeliner was brown.

"Bound at every limb by my shackles of fear," a deep voice said, more saying than singing. It wasn't Madison's or Ianthe's, yet there was no one else there. "Sealed with lies through so many tears. Lost from within, pursuing the end. I fight for the chance to be lied to again."

"You will never be strong enough." Madison sang with a burning passion. "You will never be good enough. You were never conceived in love. You will not rise above." She took a breath before beginning the chorus. "They'll never see. I'll never be. I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger. Burning deep inside of me."

"But through my tears breaks a blinding light," the voice continued as Madison sang a backup line. "Birthing a dawn to this endless night. Arms outstretched, awaiting me. An open embrace upon a bleeding tree."

"Rest in me and I'll comfort you." The voice and Madison sang together, his rough voice and her smooth one being a gorgeous contrast. "I have lived and I died for you. Abide in me and I vow to you. I will never forsake you."

"They'll never see. I'll never be. I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger. Burning deep inside of me." Madison sang alone. "They'll never see. I'll never be. I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger. Burning deep inside of me."

"Rest in me and I'll comfort you. I have lived and I died for you. Abide in me and I vow to you. I will never forsake you." The deep voice repeated Madison's earlier verse, but he screamed it, his throat becoming drier and scratchier than what once was.

"They'll never see." Madison sang. "I'll never be. I'll struggle on and on to feed this hunger. Burning deep inside of me." She then went back to her original part at the beginning, singing the same two vowels and slurring together different notes. Ianthe joined in, just as she had originally. They faded off at the end, and the music ended as well. Madison and Ianthe turned around, putting their backs to the group. They appeared to be talking to someone.

"Look up," Deuce said. Everyone looked up to see a garden of rainbow flowers. There were three rows. The first and third row had only black roses. The second row had all the flowers that were picked specifically someone, creating a rainbow path of flowers.

"There's where the flowers went," Frankie said.

"Who are they?" Jackson asked, pointing to two girls walking towards the group. The first ghoul had red skin and green eyes with black scleras. She had shoulder-length, wavy, black hair with bangs. She wore a purple, cross-strapped gown. It had a sown-in, purple fabric that wrapped around her torso- almost like a belt- made of the same fabric. She had purple eyeliner and red lips. She also had a purple bobble bracelet and a red jelly bracelet on her right arm and an infinity bracelet on her left arm. The second ghoul had a one-strap, blue and black dress. It had light blue fabric on her chest. The torso was blue and black, angled plaid. The skirt had blue and black ruffles and a slit, which showed her left leg and indigo heels. Her shoulder-length hair was styled so that two small pigtails were pulled up to sit above her blonde curls like devil-horns. She had two ginormous blue and purple wings on her back.

"Gwendolyn and Evangeline," Deuce answered, not taking his eyes off the two. The duo walked up to a corner about a foot from an invisible border that divided one group from the other. "Gwen! Evan!" The ghouls could not hear Deuce. A male with a red tuxedo, blonde hair, and ram's horns sneaked up behind Gwendolyn. He pushed her forward, scaring her, and she jumped in fright. He laughed as she regained herself. Evangeline backed up, as she knew what the demon would do.

"You little f*cktard!" Gwendolyn chased after the satyr with blonde hair. It started raining, and everyone heard thunder. Lightning struck, and everyone jumped. Two figures- a boy with caramel hair, a halo, white wings, and a light blue tuxedo, and a girl with a red dress and black belt, a black bun, and dangly storm cloud earrings with dangly blue beads that resemble rain drops- stood. The ghoul had her hands held high to the flower-covered ceiling, and the boy had his arms crossed across his chest.

"They are...?" Clawdeen asked.

"Roxie and Gabriel," Deuce answered again. Gabriel nodded to Roxie, who made it stop raining. He then turned back to the fairy, demon, and satyr.

"Ah, Ashton," the angel said in a smooth tenor voice. "We've told you Gwendolyn can squash you like a bug. Yet, you never seem to disappoint."

"Whose side are you on here, Mr. Perfect?" Gwendolyn snapped.

"Um, I'm not 'Mr. Perfect.'"

"I call Gwen's side," Roxie said. Her voice was low but understandable. "Gabe, when Ash threw a water balloon at you, you were flopping on the floor like a fish. You were not a happy camper, and I'm not quite sure you're over that."

"Say that five times fast." A ghoul with blue hair put into a side ponytail walked towards the group. She too ignored Frankie's crowd. She had rainbow horns and red under her eyes. She had a sweetheart, strapless dress that was very colorful. The torso had stripes that were- in order- red, purple, blue, green, yellow, and red. There was a gold adornment in the middle. The skirt was green, blue, purple, red, purple, blue, then green. Her eyeshadow was yellow, and her lips were purple. She had dangly rainbow earrings, a rainbow bracelet, and a pot-of-gold necklace. "Floppin' on the floor like a fish."

"Alliteration. It's got a name, you know." Another ghoul walked towards the group. She had a green, strapless, sweetheart dress with sequins. She had wavy, brown hair, rainbow horns, green eyeshadow, black eyeliner, and pink lips. Her earrings were green stones, which were jadeites. Clawdeen looked towards Deuce questioningly.

"The one with blue hair is Iris," Deuce said. "Her sister is Kira. They're our stepsisters."

"Where's Little Lace?" Gabriel asked.

"Here!" A girl with long, blonde, wavy pigtails and a strapless white and blue dress with a blue skirt came out. She had pink lipstick, eyeshadow, dangly cloud earrings, and a pink cloud necklace. "I was maybe or maybe not giving Jase a new hairdo!"

"Do not call me 'Jase.'" A huge male said. He had brown hair, a black tuxedo, ram horns, green eyes, and enormous muscles. He towered above his siblings. "My name is Jason. If ya can't learn it, don't talk to me."

"You got rid of it!" Lacie said, stomping her heeled foot.

"Oh, good lord," Gabriel shook his head.

Ianthe wasn't focused on the monsters in her squad. Instead, she tilted her head and looked directly at Deuce and his group.

"Uh...you see 'em too, right?"

"What?" Evangeline asked, looking where Ianthe was staring.

"She sees us!" Deuce yelled. "Ianthe!"

"They're right there."

"Who?" Gwendolyn asked. At this point, everyone was looking towards the group. But none except Ianthe could see them.

"I can't tell. Their faces are blurred."

"How many are there?" Madison asked.

"Um," Ianthe pointed out each one, mumbling as she counted. Finally, she said "Fourteen."

"DEUCE!" Madison yelled. She ran towards them only to be caught in Jason's grasp. "LLAMA! SETH! VIPERINE!" She looked at her half brother. "Let go of me!"

"Slow down there, tiger," Jason said.

"They're here?!" Gwendolyn cried.

"Where are they?!" Ashton exclaimed.

"You don't see them?" Ianthe asked.

"None of us do," Roxie answered.

"Can you hear us?" Ianthe asked Deuce. "Put your hand as close to us as possible." Deuce put his hand on the invisible barrier, the wall cool against his palm. Ianthe put her hand on his on the opposite side of the wall. "He's right here."

"Listen," Madison said to the group. "Go to my memories. Pick out one for each of you, except Frankie, Jackson, and Abbey. Everyone else needs one. You need to find one with you in it. You need to remember me."

"We'll see you soon," Frankie said.

"A green ghoul said, 'We'll see you soon,'" Ianthe interpreted.

"I love you."

"Deuce loves us." Madison smiled.

"We love you too, Baby. Don't take too long," Madison said.

* * *

The team hurried to a row of doors on the left side. The first door had a demon design, a red skull doorknob, and a computer keyboard.

"Whose is this?" Frankie asked.

"Gwendolyn's," Deuce answered. To the right of Gwen's door, there was another. It had an angel design, a praying angel knob, and a computer keyboard.

"Gavin?" Clawdeen asked.

"Gabriel."

"'S what I meant." The door next to Gabriel's had a crow with a rainbow wing design. The knob was rainbow, and the lock was a computer keyboard.

"Kira or Iris?" Lamia asked.

"It's too dark to be Iris's." The next door had a satyr ghoul design. The knob was a bull, and the lock was a maze.

"Ashton?" Draculaura asked.

"Close," Deuce said. "Jason." The door next to Jason's had an origami crane colored with rainbow paint. The knob was rainbow stripes, and the lock needed to be pressed underneath to be opened.

"This is Iris's," Lamia said. The door to the right of Iris's had butterflies, flowers, a butterfly knob, and the same lock as Gwen's, Gabe's, and Kira's.

"Evangeline," Ghoulia groaned. There was a huge space- enough for another door- then a door to the right. It had a design with a gorgon on it, no knob, and a piano lock.

"This is Madison's," Cleo said.

"Can we look at the other doors first?" Draculaura asked. Deuce nodded. The next door had a snake made of red and black words. The lock was the same as Iris's, and the doorknob was a snake.

"I'd be darned if it wasn't Ianthe," Operetta said. The next door had a design of a satyr and a ghoul. The knob was a hand, and the lock was the same as Jason's.

"Ashton, is not?" Abbey asked.

"Yeah," Deuce nodded. The second to last door looked like a the door had been cracked, a piece had been taken out, and there were clouds inside. The knob was a gun, and the lock was the same as Ianthe's and Iris's.

"Leather or Lace?" Seth asked.

"I think it's Roxie," Deuce answered. The last door had a sun, pink flowers, a blue bird, a lock like the one to the left, and a knob that looked like a blue gem.

"And Lacie," Viperine said.

"We should get back to Maddie's door," Frankie said. They nodded and went back to about halfway down, where Madison's door was.

"Where's the knob?" Cleo asked.

"It looks like it only appears when the door is unlocked," Ghoulia moaned.

"We have to unlock it before the knob appears?" Jackson asked.

"The tiny piano could be the lock," Operetta offered.

"But what's the combo?" Draculaura asked.

"Maddie used to tell me that anyone can pick a lock," Deuce said. "She wanted a door that would only allow a key: The Key of E flat." Deuce played the key of E flat on the little piano lock. It unlocked, and the knob appeared. Everyone cheered and walked in. They were immediately met by two doors.

"Two?" Frankie asked.

"Which should we take?" Draculaura asked.

"Deuce, do you know what each door means?" Seth asked.

"Before death and after death?"

"Good memories and bad memories?"

"Gorgon side, Jayne side?"

"None," Deuce said. "Memories on left and dreams on right." Everyone walked in through the left door. There were rows and rows of memories on either side of the long hallway.

"Voltage..."

"Lot of memories," Abbey said.

"From when we were born to when she died," Deuce said. "Even if she doesn't remember, it's still here."

"So we have to go through _hundreds_ of these?!" Cleo groaned.

"No. Only some. We'll find them."

"Are you sure there's at least one for each of them?" Lamia asked.

"If there weren't, Maddie would've said so- like Jackson, Abbey, and Frankie," Deuce answered.

"Is it in order chronologically?" Seth asked.

"Such a big word for a little boy," Lamia teased.

"A little boy that's taller than you," Seth shot back. "By an entire foot."

"Yeah, but pretty much everyone is taller than Lamia," Deuce pointed out.

"Hey!" Lamia said. "I'm only 5' 2''."

"Exactly," Seth laughed. Lamia slapped his arm.

"What age should start?" Viperine said, anxious to change the subject and get a move on.

"We didn't move to America until we were five," Deuce shrugged.

"So we should probably move a little further down," Operetta offered.

"That'd be smart," Lamia said. Everyone walked down the hallway of memories. Once they've gotten to a certain point, they all stop. "Wanna try this one?" She opened the door, and everyone stepped in. An eight-year-old Madison and Deuce were sitting on their bed. Deuce has a guitar in his lap, and he was tuning it. Madison mindlessly hummed a tune as she drew something in a spiral notebook. Suddenly, Madison stopped humming, and she instead sang the lyrics.

"She reminds me of the one in school when I was cutting. She was dressed in white." She wasn't really thinking about the lyrics as she sang, but her voice was still stunning, even with her not trying and with her young age.

"And I couldn't take my eyes off her, but that's not what I took off that night," Deuce joined it, wiggling his eyebrows at the end. Madison laughed. "She'll never cover up what we did with her dress, no."

"She said, 'Kiss me; it'll heal, but it won't forget. Kiss me; it'll heal, but it won't forget.'" Madison sang, smiling. "I don't mind you keeping me on pins and needles."

"If I could stick to you and you could stick me too."

"Don't break, don't break my heart," they sang together, "and I won't break your heart-shaped glasses. Little girl, little girl, you should close your eyes. That blue is getting me high." Madison stopped and got up off the bed.

"I'm getting a ribbon, so I can tie my snakes back," she said. "It's hot in here."

"I think you left it in the bathroom," Deuce said. Madison groaned and smacked him with a throw pillow before heading to the bathroom, which connected to their room. The door was locked.

"Huh, that's weird," Madison said, jiggling the doorknob. She left the bedroom and went down the hall to the bathroom's other entrance. That door was locked too. Madison knitted her eyebrows before going back to the bedroom. "Locked over there too."

"No one except us goes in there," Deuce said, sitting up. "Should we unlock it? Would that be weird?" Madison put her ear to the door but only heard the sound of running water. She looked back at Deuce, who shrugged, before she turned back around and stared at the door. The gorgon picked up a bobby pin that she used for everything but her hair. She stuck it in the keyhole and picked the lock. The door unlocked, and Madison pushed it open. She immediately screamed, and Deuce stood up and ran to her. When he saw what she was looking at, he immediately felt nauseous. Marisa was leaning over the sink, blood pouring from holes in her skin that she picked at and caused to bleed. Her hair was pulled out in clumps and was scattered along and in the sink and tile floor. Blood gushed from her wrists, and a broken piece of mirror sat on the counter covered in blood, most likely used to cause the damage. A bong sat on the side. The sink was quickly filling up with the woman's blood, and she was shaking violently.

"Deuce, call the ambulance!" Madison screeched. She grabbed Marisa's wrists, and the human thrashed violently, trying to push her stepdaughter off of her. Everyone left the memory.

"Deuce, do you know any memories where you are _sure_ that at least one of them is there?" Viperine asked.

"The play!" Deuce exclaimed.

"The play?" Seth asked. Suddenly, it clicked. "Oh yeah!"

"Cleo, you were in it. Clawdeen, you helped with the outfits. Ghoulia, you helped write bits of it. Clawd, you walked into a practice after school," Deuce said.

"What play again?" Clawd asked.

"I don't remember what it was called. It was where Cleo was playing the new girl. There were two twins who caused chaos throughout the school, and the girl liked one of the twins."

"I remember it!" Ghoulia moaned.

"We should find a backstage one," Lamia said.

"Good idea," Frankie said.

They all ran down the hall and went through a memory. They saw a twelve-year-old Madison and Deuce sitting at two seats in the music room. Cleo sat alone, but she sat closer to the triplets-turned-twins than to the other students. There was also a group of nine students scattered around the classroom. All twelve students were talking to each other, some quietly and others shouting across the classroom. Suddenly, Ms. Wisp opened the door and walked in, two girls following behind her. A young Ghoulia sat in the front of the room, and a vampire girl sat next to her.

"Settle down," the teacher said, her soft, smooth voice surprisingly causing the loud students to quieten. Two men entered the classroom. The first had a brown trench coat, a beret, his face wrapped in bandages, and glasses. The other had shaggy brown hair, gold eyes, fur, and a blue dress shirt.

"Is that Mr. Where?" Clawdeen's jaw dropped.

"It is!" Operetta nodded.

"Alright, students, I have chosen you- the head of the chorus students- to participate in a school play," the werewolf teacher- Mr. Moon- said. "Anyone who isn't willing to either participate as a character or help out in and around stage may leave now if they wish." None of the students left, and Mr. Moon grinned, his pearly fangs glistening against his dark fur. "Good. We have the drama teacher from Monster High to help us."

"Good afternoon, everybody!" Mr. Where said as he bowed to the preteen students.

"We also had some of the students in journalism to help write the script," Mr. Moon motioned to Ghoulia and the vampire girl. Both shyly waved.

"What is it about?" One of the students asked. She was a short werewolf with yellow skin and frizzy orange hair. She had birthmarks that looked like tattoos. On the inside of both arms, there were phases of the moon in order, and in the middle of her chest was a full moon.

"I'm glad you asked, Kiara," Mr. Moon said.

"Kiki," Kiara mumbled.

"It's about a girl named Natalie who is a new student at a public school," the vampire girl, whose name was Jordan, answered. "She quickly meets two students- a male and a female- who become her friends. She is talking to them in the hallway when she sees a pair of fraternal twins named Jay and Gretchen. Both are chaotic and are the antagonists of the school. They could be classified as bullies if you wanted to call them that. But Natalie falls head over heels for the Jay, the male twin, who is broken, corrupted by lust, and often teases her- albeit playfully. Jay initially tries to push her away and claims he and Gretchen share a secret. But he eventually begins falling for her as well. When this happens, Natalie's male friend- Kevin- goes after Jay, telling him to stay away from her, since he believes Jay's only after her because of lust. Jay and Kevin become enemies, and Kevin keeps trying to expose Jay's secret. However, towards the end of the play, Natalie sees a crowd of people circling around something, and when she goes to see what's happening, she sees Gretchen committed suicide. The students also find that Jay was put in jail for murder, and word spreads that Gretchen killed herself because of her brother's life sentence. Natalie sneaks out to see Jay, who reveals that the suicide was faked but the murder was real. Their father killed Gretchen, and Jay went after him and avenged his sister's death himself. He went back and made Gretchen's death look like a suicide. With Natalie's help, Jay sneaks out of jail, and they go off together."

"That sounds awesome," Thomas, a water monster, said, his Jamaican accent very noticeable.

"But what was their secret?" London, a swamp monster asked.

"I thought it was obvious," Jordan said. "They were abused." Deuce squirmed slightly, and Madison rolled her eyes.

"Do you have the characters' actors and actresses already planned?" a skeleton girl named Abigail asked.

"Good question," Jordan said. "We really want Cleo to play Natalie. And Deuce and Madison would be the twins, Jay and Gretchen, of course. Then, we thought Gavin could be Kevin. We don't know about the other friend. You might be a good fit, Gail." Jordan then looked at all of the students she just named. "That's of course if you're all up to it." They nodded, and Jordan grinned. "Perfect! Then, it's settled." Suddenly, a large, bulky student entered. He was a chupacabra and was sweating. He high-fived another student- who turned out to be Clawd- as he entered the room. Ms. Wisp crossed her arms.

"Football practice ended twenty minutes ago, Carlos!" She nagged. "Where were you?"

"We all had to stay after to run laps," Carlos answered. "One of the newbies got on Coach's nerves, and we all paid for it." He rolled his eyes. Ms. Wisp nodded and pointed to the seats, and Carlos sat down and pulled out a water bottle, sucking all the liquid out in one gulp.

"Deuce and Madison," Ms. Wisp said. Both perked up at hearing their names. "You're in charge of the music."

"It's a musical?" Madison asked, grinning from ear to ear. Ms. Wisp nodded.

"I want one song for Jay, one for Gretchen, one for Natalie, a duet between Jay and Gretchen, a duet between Jay and Natalie, a duet between Jay and Kevin, and possibly a few more for some of the supporting characters. And maybe a song before and after the play if time allows it."

"Why so many songs for Jay?" Deuce asked. "Like, I'm flattered and all, but-"

"Your character is much bigger than you realize, Deuce," Ms. Wisp answered. Deuce nodded, leaned back in his seat, and whispered something to Maddie, who chuckled.

"Let's see some more of the backstage stuff," Operetta offered. Everyone nodded and left the memory. They headed a few doors down and entered another memory. Deuce, Madison, Cleo, Thomas, Gavin, Gail, and Brent- a ghost rider- were all in the chorus room with Ms. Wisp.

"We're going to a practice room!" Madison shouted to the teacher, who nodded. Deuce followed Madison to the room.

"Wait," Cleo said, stopping the triplets. "I'm not making the music, but can I stay?" Madison gave Deuce a knowing, teasing look, and he chuckled quietly.

"If you wish to," Madison answered. "Might be boring. Might not. You never really know." They continued to the practice room. Deuce shut the door as Madison sat in a plastic chair and Cleo chose one across from her. Deuce grabbed one next to his sister and put a notebook on his lap. He pulled a pen out of his pocket, and the group sat in silence for a moment, not knowing what to say, especially since Cleo was there. "So, Deuce..." Madison said.

"Yes?"

"Whose song are we working on first?" Deuce shrugged.

"I don't care."

"You've got more. Let's do yours first." Madison leaned back into the chair and tapped a pen against her knee. "I want a song where it's your first impression to the crowd. The real you and not the act that you put up in the school. But you are still putting up a barrier; does that make sense?"

Deuce nodded. "Yeah, completely."

"Okay, good. So I'm thinking the first song with just you singing to Cleo. The one where she tries to find you at our hideout."

"So is this song more about-"

"I've got a secret," Madison interrupted. Deuce nodded.

"But I am still putting up that facade," Deuce said. "So I'm trying to cover it up by teasing Cleo."

"Exactly!" Madison smiled.

"So what's a good entrance?"

"Well, Mrs. Pharmacist, I insist, fix me up with something quick," Madison said.

"I've been a bad little boy," Deuce smirked, "and I think I'm getting sick." Madison laughed and smacked him.

"Oh gods."

"What?" He smirked. "Is there a problem?"

"You're going to lead this song in the wrong direction in the first verse."

"I don't see a problem."

"You wouldn't."

Deuce smiled and wrote down the lyrics before looking back up to his sister. "Sick to the bone." He grinned.

"Slave to the flesh," she said, returning the smile.

"Better put on my Sunday's best. I've been a bad little boy, little boy."

"Stop with that!" Madison shrieked, hitting his arm again.

"What? Why?" Deuce grinned. "My character, Jay, is supposed to be a horny bastard, and if this is how I want to portray him in the song, I can." Madison rolled her emerald eyes.

"I hope you remember that Ms. Wisp is listening to each song and saying whether she wants them in the play or not." Deuce shrugged.

"It'll be fine," he said. "She's never had a problem with our song lyrics before."

"A truly odd occurrence, if you ask me."

"I guess it's because she doesn't want to fix something that's not broken."

"If that's how you want to look at it."

"So the chorus?"

"I've got a dirty, little secret. And I'm not sure that I wanna keep it. So we feed ourselves lies to submit to the shadows. Cause we just wanna dance under our pretty perfect halos," Madison said.

"What if we repeat some of the lyrics?" Deuce offered, tapping his chin with the pen.

"What do you mean?"

"I've got a dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty little secret. And I'm not, not, not sure that I wanna keep it. So we feed ourselves lies to submit to the shadows. Cause we just wanna dance under our pretty perfect halos."

Cleo smiled. "I really like that," the mummy said. Madison grinned, and Deuce wrote everything up to that point down in a notebook.

"Everyone's got a secret," he said.

"What's yours? What's yours?"

"Don't be shy; I'll never repeat it."

"That's so perfect!" Madison squealed. Deuce nodded and continued to write.

"Alright," he said, "I've got this." He hid a smile. "Oh, Mrs. Pharmacist, if I resist, lock me up and bind my wrists. You've been a bad little girl, little girl."

"You need to stop!" Madison said.

"Close your eyes and listen close. I know just how much you love it," he said seductively.

"Kinky bastard."

Deuce laughed and shrugged before continuing. "The next is the best line though!"

Madison sighed. "Fine. What is it?"

"If you speak, you lose your turn. So shut your mouth before I f*ck it." Madison bust out laughing and stood up out of her chair.

"I can't with you!"

"Hey, that was clever; you have to admit."

Madison rolled her eyes. "I'm not admitting that."

"Can we write it at least?"

"NO!"

"What? Why not?"

"Deuce!"

"Okay, okay!" Deuce grinned. "But I'm holding the pen and paper." Madison lunged at her brother, who pulled the pen and paper further away from her and quickly wrote it down.

"NO!"

"Ha. It's in pen. Can't change it now." Madison flicked him off, but Deuce just laughed.

"Chorus," Madison said. "I've got a dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty little secret. And I'm not, not, not sure that I wanna keep it. So we feed ourselves lies to submit to the shadows. Cause we just wanna dance under our pretty perfect halos."

"Change it up," Deuce said.

"Everyone's got a secret. Tell me all about yours."

Deuce nodded in approval before he wrote it down. "Love. Hate. Oh, how we play the game. Cold. Soul. No sense of self control. Love. Hate. Unsure to pass or play. Cold soul. Now, we're out of control."

"Roses are red, and my heart is black. We creep about the floor to indulge like rats."

"Oh, look at you being a little poet."

"Hell yeah," she grinned. "Enraptured, we walk to nurse our obsession. Cause the roles that we play are paved with cruel intentions."

"Well, Mrs. Pharmacist...If you insist," he said sensually.

"Deuce!"

"Okay, that's the last one! I promise."

"You better keep it." Madison glared at him as he wrote everything up to that point down. "I've got a dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty little secret. And I'm not, not, not sure that I wanna keep it. So we feed ourselves lies to submit to the shadows."

"And I just wanna shake you by your little perfect f*cking halo."

"Ooh, I like that." Madison smiled.

"Everyone's got a secret. What's yours? What's yours? Don't be shy; I'll never repeat it."

"Perfect," Madison said. Deuce finished writing the lyrics before looking up at Madison.

"What should be the name?" Madison thought for a moment.

"Shadows?"

"Nah, what about about Halos?"

"No, that's even worse." Madison tapped her chin. "Mrs. Pharmacist?"

"Absolutely not."

"Um, what about Rats?" Cleo offered. Deuce and Madison looked at her as she continued. "You used that in there."

Madison clapped and pointed at her. "There we go! There's a title!"

"I'm good with that," Deuce smiled, writing it down in the header of the page. "First song done."

"We should go to another memory," Seth said. Deuce nodded. They left the memory and went down the hall before stopping at another. Madison and Deuce were sitting in the practice room again.

"I have 'Ride' stuck in my head," Madison said as she pulled a french horn onto her lap. "So if I start humming random parts, it's fine."

"Wait," Deuce commented, "by Samuel Hazo?" Madison nodded. "Alright then." They sat in silence for a few moments before Madison slammed her hand on a table.

"One! Two-e-and, three-and-a, four-and-a, one-and-a, two-and!" She sang quickly. "Bummmmmm bummmm bummmmm bummmmmm!" Deuce chuckled.

Someone banged on the wall, and they heard Seth asked, "Madison?" It sounded like he was holding his nose with his index finger and thumb.

"Yes?"

"How do you get a tampon out of your nose?" Deuce choked on his water.

"What?!" he laughed.

Madison joined in with the laughter, and she called, "Pull on the string!"

"What string?!" Seth squeaked. The door opened, and Lamia walked in, her black mambas hissing madly.

"What did you do?' Deuce asked.

"Seth!" Lamia called. Tentatively, Seth walked into the practice room, which suddenly erupted in laughter. Viperine shook her head as she followed behind Seth.

"Oh my gods," Madison chuckled.

"Oh, dude!" Deuce laughed. "What happened?!" Seth glared at Lamia, who looked away and bit her lip.

"Ask this one."

"I was showing him how to get a yeast infection."

"I'm pretty sure you can't get yeast infection in your nose," Madison said, walking over to Seth.

Lamia shrugged. "I know you can get it in your-"

"Don't say it!"

"Vagina."

"And you said it." Madison rolled her eyes.

"Not that I know much about this," Deuce said, "but isn't it Toxic Shock Syndrome that's caused by tampons?"

"Yep," Madison said.

"Just shut the f*ck up and help me get this out of my nose!" Seth panicked.

"Alright, alright!" Madison said, grabbing a very tiny string. "Don't get your panties in a bunch." She pulled on the string, but the tampon refused to budge.

"F*ck, Maddie!" Seth screeched.

"Been there," Madison said. She yanked on the string. "Done that."

"What?" Viperine asked.

"F*ck Maddie. She's saying she's been f*cked," Lamia clarified.

"Pretty much everyone knows I'm not a virgin," Madison said. "It's why I get all my lovely nicknames." She pulled on the string again.

"Isn't it touchy?"

"Depends on the moment." She pulled harder.

"Ow! Be gentle!"

"Lamia, how far did you put this up his nose? I can barely get the string." She continued to pull on the string. She then pushed his head back with her right hand and pulled the string with her left. "By the way, I've never used one of these before, so I'm not completely sure."

"Believe me," Seth groaned. "That's the least of my issues." He glared at Lamia.

"It's stuck," Madison said finally.

"Oh gods!" Deuce laughed harder.

"Get out of the way," Lamia said. Madison stepped back, and Lamia stood in front of Seth. "This won't hurt, uh...too bad."

"No. No, no, no! Lamia, don't-" Lamia yanked on the string extremely hard, causing the tampon to come out and Seth to scream a high-pitched scream. Seth's nose started bleeding violently. He cupped his hand over his nose.

"F*ck, Lamia!"

"Want it back?" Lamia asked.

"NO!"

"It's a good time to have it now that you're bleeding," Lamia shrugged.

"F*ck you."

"Already have."

"What?!" Viperine squeaked.

"It's called a dildo," Lamia said.

"TMI, Llama!" Viperine squeezed her eyes shut and put her hands over her ears.

"Oh, but when Maddie-"

"Well, mine's forced," Madison said. "You _choose_ to."

"Um," Deuce chuckled, "I'll take Seth to the bathroom."

"Oh gods," Seth said, still cupping his hands under his nose. "I will get you back, Llama!" The boys leave the practice room. Almost immediately, a panicked teacher rushed into the chorus room.

"Is everything okay? I heard a little ghoul scream." The teacher saw Lamia holding the bloody tampon. "Uh...I think I'll leave." She immediately left the room without a word, and Seth and Deuce come back. Seth held toilet paper under his nose to stop the bleeding, and Deuce bit his bottom lip to hold in the laughter.

"A teacher thought a little ghoul screamed, Seth," Viperine said. "That must really say something."

"Shut up," Seth said. "I'm already pissed."

"Ready to leave this memory?" Frankie asked.

"I know I am," Seth grumbled.

"Alright, let's go," Deuce said. They left the memory. "Where do you want to go next?" A small, yellow light flickered next to Abbey's head. The yeti swatted at it, but it didn't leave, as it was a light and not an insect. It floated down the hallway and went closer to the door the group entered from. Frankie ran after the light. Seth shrugged, and the group ran after her. They stopped at a doorway that the light halted at. The light disappeared. Deuce grabbed the doorknob and twisted it. He pushed the door open slowly and walked into the memory. Suddenly, he stopped. Frozen in his place. They looked around at what appeared to be a living room.

"Where are we?" Clawdeen asked, gazing around the room.

"My old house," Deuce said, still tense. "We lived here before Mom and Dad got divorced." The walls were the color of black coffee, and the beige couches were leather and stained. The floors were dark and littered with empty cans and glasses of beer. Two-year-old Madison and Deuce sat on the couch staring at the television. Madison kicked the cushion below her as Deuce laid upside-down and hugged a throw pillow close to his chest. The news repeated the same eight stories, but the kids watched it with fascination. Sounds of slams and crashes were heard from the kitchen, but they paid it no attention.

Suddenly, Mark stormed into the living room. "I work all godd*mn day," he grumbled. "Bills everywhere. Floors are a disgrace. No food. What does your mother do all day? Where do her checks go?" Mark slammed a beer can on the coffee table and took a seat next to Madison, who tensed up immediately and stopped kicking the cushion. Deuce sat upright, but he refused to loosen his grip on the pillow. Mark put his head in his hand, reluctantly trying to rid himself of the pounding headache and hangover. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Mark cursed and got up, walking to the front door. He swung the door open, but upon opening it, he almost shut it. Deuce paled immediately, to which Seth took note of.

"You okay?"

"I don't want to be here for this memory."

"Which memory is it?"

"Lacie."

Seth looked at his cousin with anxiety and sympathy in his eyes.

A pale, slender woman with long, platinum blonde hair and brown eyes stood at the door. She wore a white sundress that flowed in the wind. She held two, blonde girls who were roughly the same age as Deuce and Madison. One had long hair that was put into two pigtails. The other had short, choppy hair. Both had green eyes.

"Isn't that Roxie and Lacie?" Clawdeen asked.

"The twins?" Draculaura asked.

"And their mum?" Abbey added. Deuce nodded.

"I thought Roxie had black hair," Clawd asked.

"She dyed it," Deuce clarified. "She hated having blonde hair."

"F*ck, you're here," Mark groaned.

"Don't look so happy to see me," the woman- Ziarre- snapped. She put the girls to their feet, and they scurried inside to sit next to Deuce and Madison on the couch. Lacie poked a scrape on Deuce's hand. "They did a test. They're yours. Just like I said." Mark turned to look at the four children, trying to wrap his mind around the thought. He stared at them for a moment before turning back to Ziarre.

"Get them away from here."

"Why should I?" Ziarre snorted. "They're not just mine. They're yours too."

"You better be f*cking glad my wife isn't home," Mark hissed.

"That's not my problem, now, is it?"

"And they aren't my problem either!" Mark screeched. The children stopped moving to stare at the adults. "Now, I'll tell you again. Get them away from my godd*mn house. Or I'll give you a reason to never bring them back."

"No."

Anger boiled through Mark's veins. He slammed the door shut, leaving Ziarre outside and leaving the children in confusion. Ziarre pounded on the door as Mark walked over to the children, who pushed themselves further and further back into the couch's cushions. He grabbed Lacie by her one of the pigtails and yanked her towards him. She screeched as he picked her up. She clawed at his face, and he continued to carry her to the kitchen, where he grabbed matches and lighter fluid from the top shelf of one of the cabinets. Roxie, Madison, and Deuce chased after their father and grabbed onto his pant leg in an attempt to stop him. He merely kicked them off him before heading to the backyard, with the three other children running behind. Lacie scratched at Mark's face and tugged on his hair before he dropped the young child on the dirt ground. He poured lighter fluid on her as she tried to stand. He stomped on her stomach, leaving her to curl up in a ball and unable to fight back. The other children tried to fight off their father, but he pushed them to the side as if they meant nothing to him. Mark lit on of the matches, and Lacie's meadow green eyes widened in fright.

"What are you doing?!" She cried.

"Covering my tracks." He tossed the match on her. She lit up quickly and screamed in agony as the flames licked her skin, which was quickly turning charcoal black. Her long hair only added to the fuel, the golden strands turning black as night. Blisters bubbled up onto her skin. The smell of burning flesh spread through the air as Mark went inside the house without looking back. It didn't take long for her body to burn. Deuce cried, and Madison paled a ghostly white. Roxie screamed, falling to the ground on her knees. She pounded on the earth with her small fists as storm clouds rapidly appeared in the sky, blanketing the area with a layer of gray-green. Lightning shot from the clouds as Roxie continued to scream. Rain poured out of the clouds to match her eyes. A tornado appeared as well, and the leaves on the ground were caught in it.

"Uh...ghouls?" Frankie asked.

The rain put out the fire that was swallowing Lacie's body. The three children raced towards Lacie's body, which was burnt with third-degree burns. Blisters and peeling skin were evident on every inch.

"Lacie!" Roxie screamed. She gently shook her dead twin by her shoulders. "Lace!" She shook her harder. "Why won't you wake up?! Lacie! Wake up!" Deuce turned away, sobbing uncontrollably as his face turned red. His breathing was staggered and shaky. Cleo put her hand on his shoulder, and Seth grabbed his wrist, tracing circles on his cousin's skin with his thumb. Frankie, Draculaura, and Lagoona cried as well.

"It's so sad how Roxie thinks Lacie's only sleeping," Frankie murmured.

"I need to leave," Deuce cried. "I need to get out of here."

"We all should," Lamia said, uncharacteristically solemn and quiet. Everyone stepped out of the memory. The same light appeared.

"Should we take it?" Viperine asked.

"I say we should," Ghoulia moaned.

"I agree with Ghoulia," Operetta said. "We should see." They all followed the light to a little ways down the hall before stopping. Deuce wiped his eyes before turning to the doorknob. The memory started at the living room, but it was different than the one in the last memory. This one was the room they visited, the one at the house. It seemed cleaner, yet it wasn't _clean_. Five-year-old Madison laid on her side on the hardwood floors, and Deuce was on his back. Kira laid next to Deuce, her right arm twisted at an unnatural angle, and Iris cowered in the corner of the living room. Roxie, whose naturally blonde hair was now dyed black, was between Deuce and Madison, rolled up into fetal position as if she were protecting her ribs. Mark paced around the room, muttering curses and incoherent mumbles. Suddenly, he yelled something incomprehensible and kicked Madison, knocking her onto her stomach. Suddenly, he stopped pacing.

Mark looked down at the five children on the floor. "F*ck..." he muttered, running a hand through his greasy hair. "This is what f*cking happens when they drop off their godd*mn kids at my house." He grabbed Roxie by her arm and yanked her up. "More mouths to feed." She kicked aimlessly, but to no avail. "And yet, what does she f*cking expect?" He grabbed her face, making her look towards him. "Does Ziarre not give a sh*t anymore? Which is why she just drops you here and lets me clean up her messes like usual." Roxie glared at him. "Well, f*ck, if that's the case..." He turned towards Marisa, who sat on the couch, halfway watching the scene unfold before her and halfway watching the static-filled television. "Risa," Mark said. His second wife looked up at him, her dark blue eyes boring into his green. "The rope." She simply nodded before getting off the couch and heading into the garage. After a few moments, Marisa returned with a rope and tossed it to Mark before settling herself back into the couch cushions. Mark tied the rope into a noose and hung it on one of the living room fan's blades.

Seth looked towards Deuce, whose hands were clammy and clenched into fists. He shook badly. "Deuce, are you okay?"

Deuce tore his eyes away from the memory he tried to forget. "Not in the least bit," he admitted, "but I'll manage." He squeezed his eyes shut.

Mark twisted his grip to Roxie's neck, pushing her up against the wall. Madison noticed and tried getting up, but Marisa got off the couch and pushed on her, holding down her wrists with her arms. Madison struggled against her stepmother's grip, but she continued staring at her half sister. Mark pushed the noose down Roxie's head and to her neck. He pushed her, letting go, and she was caught by her neck on the rope.

But her neck didn't snap automatically. Instead, the oxygen going to her brains was immediately cut short. The veins and arteries were blocked, and oxygen stopped flowing. As brain ischemia occurred, her brain began swelling, and her heart rate and blood pressure quickly plummeted. Blood pooled under her skin as her skin turned pale and sickly, veins and capillaries becoming more evident. The noose crushed her trachea, and she was slowly asphyxiating. It was just a matter of which organ gave out first: her brain, her heart, or her lungs. Blood from carotids had nowhere to go, building pressure. Suddenly, the capillaries in her face and her eyes bursted. Madison screamed as Roxie's eyes burst from her skull and blood pooled uncontrollably. Deuce paled instantly. Kira covered her own eyes, which felt as if they were stinging. Iris felt nauseous as she too closed her eyes. Then Roxie lost herself. She quit trying. She quit fighting. She gave up and hung limp, dangling from the rope.

Without a word, Mark cut the rope. He left the living rooms, and Marisa got off Madison and followed suit. Madison ran to Roxie, followed by Deuce and their stepsisters. Madison laid Roxie's head in her lap, tracing her eye sockets and coating her fingers in her sister's blood. Suddenly, she screamed. The walls shook as Madison buried her face in Roxie's shoulder, screaming louder as tears swelled from her eyes.

"We should, uh, leave this one too," Operetta said, barely loud enough for the others to hear. They wordlessly nodded and left the memory, shutting the door behind them. Deuce crumbled and sunk to the floor, shaking and sobbing. Seth knelt in front of him before turning to look at the others.

"I'm gonna stay here with Deuce. You check out the other memories. Frankie nodded, and Cleo grabbed Deuce's hand, squeezed it, and let go before folllowing the others, who were already after the light. The light stopped and disappeared, and they entered the next memory. It began in Madison and Deuce's bedroom. Six-year-old Madison sat on the side of the bed, and Evangeline laid down beside her. Her face was flushed and sweaty, and her lips were dry and cracked. Madison stroked her blonde curls as Evangeline panted, her head lolling to the side ever-so-slightly.

The bedroom door opened, and Deuce stepped in with a glass of water. He gave Evangeline the cup, guiding it to her mouth and helping her drink. "What's happening?" Deuce asked, settling beside his sisters and still keeping a hand on the cup. "Anything besides the fever and nauseousness?"

"She's weak, confused, and her neck is stiff," Madison answered, looking up at her brother. "And I'm pretty sure that last one's worse than it sounds." Deuce nodded and put the cup on the dresser. He grabbed the fairy's clammy hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back, but it was weak.

"And the antibiotics aren't helping?"

"Nope. Gods, I don't know what to do anymore."

Suddenly, Evangeline started shaking. Her green eyes became unfocused. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

"Oh sh*t!" Deuce shrieked. He looked up at Madison, his emerald eyes wide. "Call an ambulance." She nodded quickly and ran off. Deuce cradled Evangeline to his chest. "It's okay, Evangeline. Everything's going to be okay." He gently kissed her forehead, eliciting a smile from her. Until she stopped breathing. He squeezed her hand again, but this time, she didn't squeeze back. Her hand became limp, and Deuce shook it but received no answer. "Evangeline..." Deuce whispered. "Evangeline!" He shook her hand harder, but he still received no response. "Madison!"

Madison hurried back into the room and immediately dropped the phone, racing over towards the dead fairy.

"She's gone!" Deuce said quietly.

Then something snapped.

He stood up, letting go of Evangeline. "Dad killed her! Just like he did to Roxie and Lacie!" He punched the wall, and a hole formed, pieces of the house crumbling like pieces of a broken cracker. Madison grabbed Deuce's raised fist and brought it down beside him. He screamed again and crumbled to the ground, sobbing hard. She sat beside him, pushing his snakes back away from his red face.

"It's okay. She's safe...Food poisoning...She was just sick," Madison said, trying to be as calm as possible even though her voice shook with each word. "No pain she hasn't already felt before."

"Let's leave," Jackson said hurriedly. Everyone left the memory. The light shone once more, so after following it, they stopped at another memory. Six-year-old Madison, Deuce, Iris, and Kira are all on the roof of a building with Marisa. Marisa dragged Iris by her blue, wavy hair, and everyone else followed the duo, attempting to stop her.

"I gave you way too many f*cking chances," Marisa said, her voice tight in anger. "I gave you one simple task. And for what?" She twisted her grip tighter, and Iris let out a shriek as Marisa pulled harder. "You to somehow manage to f*ck it up!" She yanked her daughter to the ground, and the blue-haired beauty fell to her knees. "How do you manage to lose it? Fourteen hundred dollars worth of coke. Down the drain. All because you, PIECE OF SH*T!" Marisa jerked Iris again, and this time, she pulled her off the roof and gripped her wrists, letting her dangle off the side of the building. "DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO TAKE TO GET BACK?" Iris apologized profusely, tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to f*cking hear it." Marisa let go.

Iris screamed as she plummeted stories to the bottom. She hit the ground, and no other noise was made. As Marisa got off the roof, Kira dove to the edge. She pulled a strand of Iris's blue hair that was caught in the gutter. She leaned over and saw Iris lay unmoving on the ground. She cried, her tears dripping off the roof like rain. Deuce and Madison went beside her. Deuce's jaw dropped as he paled, and Madison fell to her knees.

"IRIS!" Kira screeched, her usual quiet monotone replaced by a banshee shriek. Without a word, everyone left the memory.

"How many more of these are there?" Frankie asked, rubbing her arms to shake off the uncomfortable feeling.

"Five," Ghoulia moaned.

"Five more!" Clawdeen groaned. "I'm not gonna last." They walked towards the next memory and opened the door. The memory began in the bedroom. Seven-year-old Kira, Madison, and Deuce laid on the bed. All three were skinny as skeletons. Their bones were weak, their muscles had shrunken immensely, and their immune systems had diminished greatly. Their skin was thin, stretched over their bones. None of them had eaten for weeks, and after days and days of becoming weaker, heart attacks, and organ failure slowly occurring, they had nothing left to do but sit and enjoy each other's company. Madison braided Kira's thinning hair into an elaborate braid. Deuce traced shapes on Madison's leg as Kira mindlessly flipped through the novel she had in her lap. Suddenly, Kira smiled.

"What's wrong?" Madison asked, her weak voice shaking with each word. She finger-combed the braid out of her stepsister's straight, brown hair. Kira shook her head.

"Nothing. I feel good." Madison raised an eyebrow. "No, really," Kira said, "I feel good. Almost at peace. Like a euphoria." With every sentence fragment, she took a deep breath, trying to take in as much oxygen as humanly possible. "It feels...nice." Kira closed the book and reached over Deuce to put it on the nightstand. She laid down and nestled into the bed, closing her eyes to sleep. After a few moments, her breath became steady. Soon after, neither Gorgon heard her breathing. Deuce looked over at his stepsister as Madison put her hand on Kira's chest. Then neck. Then wrist. When she couldn't find a heartbeat or a pulse, she began to panic.

"Deuce! Deuce! Deuce!" Madison began hyperventilating, and Deuce quickly put his finger on Kira's neck, trying to find her pulse, but to no avail.

"F*ck, Kira!" He yelled. Her head lolled to the side. Madison put her face in her stepsister's hair and cried, but Deuce cried out in the open, pulling his knees up to his face.

"She starved, didn't she?" Clawd asked. Lamia nodded.

"Marisa and Mark wiped all the food out of the house. There was nothing they could do."

"We're just seeing all of the half siblings' deaths..." Jackson mumbled. "That's why that light keeps leading us to specific memories."

"I really don't want to," Clawdeen mumbled.

"For the project," Abbey said sternly. "Need much information. This helps. Shut mouth." Everyone left the memory. The light appeared a little bit down the hallway, but not too much. Everyone besides Deuce and Seth went to the memory and walked through the door. The memory began at a bridge over a lake. Mark drove a car. Gwendolyn sat in the passenger seat, keeping her distance from her father. Deuce, Madison, and Gabriel were in the back row, and Ashton, Jason, and Caleen were in the way back in the third row. They were all eight years old. Caleen's head was hanging out of the window, and her long, caramel pigtails flew behind her. All the kids were tied up to keep from escaping as Mark took another swig of his beer. As soon as he stopped focusing on the road, the car flipped over the bridge. Everyone screamed except Mark. The car landed upside down in the lake, but the windows and windshield both broke.

"I know what's going to happen," Draculaura mumbled. Everyone was split up, divided among the water. Deuce found a sharp rock buried in the sand and used it to cut his rope, freeing his hands. He dug the stone up and quickly swam up out of the lake, taking a gulp of air in before diving back down. He swam until he found Ashton, whose horns were tangled in a net someone threw in the lake. Deuce cut the rope and net, freeing Ashton. They both swam and found Madison, whose snakes tried to bite off the rope. Deuce cut her rope and freed Madison, who took the stone from Deuce and swam to the left to cut Gwendolyn's rope. Both swam back. Everyone swam to Jason, who was fighting against the water. They cut his rope, then Caleen's. When they found Gabriel, however, he was already dead. His rope was caught on a large rock, and his body swayed within the water, moving with the currents. Deuce's cut his ropes, and he and Jason carried him to the surface. They swam to shore, one of Gabriel's arms around each brother. They laid him on the grass before settling around him in a circle. Gabriel's eyes were glassy and empty, unable to focus. The family had lost their light in the dark, the shining smile at whatever moment, and yet another sibling.

"Gabriel..." Madison whispered hoarsely. She stuck out a hand to stroke his caramel bangs from underneath his halo, which had lost its usual gold, bright vibrance.

"We took too long," Gwendolyn said, her obvious anger towards herself apparent in her tone. Madison buried her face into her brother's chest and cried. Deuce nuzzled his face into her snakes and sobbed with her. Ashton wiped tears off his cheeks, Caleen had her face in the soil while she sobbed, and Jason and Gwendolyn tried to act as if they weren't crying. "I will murder that bastar-"

"Where is Dad anyway?" Jason interrupted, looking around to take his eyes off of his dead half brother. Ashton pointed to a figure running away from the lake. Jason scoffed. "Pig." Madison brushed Gabriel's caramel bangs with her fingers. Gwendolyn ran her fingertips over her dead half brother's eyelids and closed his open eyes.

"We should leave this one too," Frankie said. Everyone left the memory and headed toward another lit one. An eight-year-old Madison, Deuce, and Gwendolyn stood in the basement of the Jaynes' house. Mark held a gun at the trio.

"Oh Ra," Cleo said.

"This probably isn't going to end well," Jackson said.

"Get out of the godd*mn way, Gwendolyn," Mark said. "I'm not trying to aim for you. We both know that." He cocked the gun.

"Are you honestly low enough to kill six of your children?" Gwendolyn scoffed, her voice snarky yet protective.

Mark shrugged. "Doesn't bother me as much as you think it does."

"Go to hell."

"That's your job," Mark growled. Gwen closed her eyes and tried steadying her breath. But she refused to move. "Now, you have one more chance. Stop trying to be a hero, Gwendolyn. Monsters can't be, especially demons."

"I'm not being a hero."

She opened her eyes.

"I'm being a good sister."

Mark grinned. "That's cute. Too bad you weren't good enough."

Mark aimed the gun at Deuce and pulled the trigger. Almost immediately as his finger pulled it, Gwendolyn stepped in front of Deuce and pushed him out of the way. He fell onto the concrete as the bullet hit Gwendolyn in the temple. She almost fell to the floor, but Madison caught her. Mark left the basement and locked the door behind him.

"Gwendolyn!" Madison screamed. She cried, tears falling onto Gwendolyn's cheeks and sizzling as they touched her hot, reddish skin. Deuce put his head on dead Gwendolyn's stomach. He cried, letting his tears drip onto her shirt. Madison rubbed his back, and she cried along with him.

"You're so stupid, Gwen," Deuce cried, saying it affectionally. He put his fingers to her temple, where slippery, black blood oozed out like oil from a spill.

"I can't believe...It's so sad that so many young children died," Lagoona said, wiping her teary eyes. "Lacie died when she was two! She was only a little joey. They were all little joeys."

"Lagoona...?" Frankie said quietly.

"Should leave. Don't want to see blood," Abbey said, lowering her head sadly.

"Abbey's right. We shouldn't be here any longer than we have to- at least not for these memories," Clawd said. Everyone left the memory. The light went on again and led them to another door. Jackson opened it, and this time, nine-year-old Jason, Ashton, Deuce, and Maddie were in the living room. Each had tape on their mouths, as to not notify the neighbors. They were all laying on the floor in pain. Marisa tapped her chin as she stood next to her second husband.

"I say the blonde one goes," she said simply. Ashton's eyes widened, along with everyone else's.

"So they're just picking which ones get to stay and which are forced to leave?!" Clawd yelled.

"Unfortunately," Viperine sighed.

"That's not fair at all!" Clawdeen said, anger making her northern accent become even more apparent.

"You've seen seven kids die, all under nine years old, and _now_ you think it's unfair?!" Lamia said.

"She knew it was unfair before," Frankie said.

Marisa tossed Mark a pillow, which he caught. Mark ripped the tape off of Ashton's mouth, evicting a scream from the blonde boy. Mark replaced the tape with the pillow, suffocating the nine-year-old. Madison, Deuce, and Jason screamed under their tape. Jason thrashed, trying to get his father to stop. He reached out and grabbed Mark's leg, tripping him. Marisa got on top of Jason, sitting on his stomach and grabbing his wrists.

Ashton's eyes rolled to the back of his head as his lungs burned from loss of oxygen. His face turned purple until he gave up. Marisa stood up, getting off of the satyr. Jason tried to lunge at Mark, but Deuce and Madison each held one of his arms, holding him back. Once Mark and Marisa left, the two bodyguards let go of Jason's wrists. Jason fell onto his knees, grabbing his dead brother's icy hand. He started sobbing instantly, a strange occurrence as Jason _never_ cried.

"Ashton!" Jason shrieked. He shook his brother's shoulders, but Ashton didn't move. "Ashton!"

Deuce lugged himself off the floor to sit beside Jason, resting a hand on the satyr's back. "Jason, it'll be okay," Deuce said, trying to hold back his own tears.

"NO!" Jason screamed, turning around to face the gorgon. "No, it won't! It won't be okay! It'll never be okay! He's dead! Gone!"

"He's with Ianthe, Lacie, Roxie, Evangeline, Iris, Kira, Gabriel, and Gwendolyn right now," Madison said, sitting on the other side of Jason. Tears fell down her cheeks. "Doesn't that make you feel a little bit better?"

"No," Jason snapped. "He's supposed to be here. With us!"

"Jason-"

"NO!" Jason interrupted Deuce. "Just shut up! You don't know what it's like to lose a sibling!"

"Yes, we do," Madison said, hurt becoming evident in her voice.

"Half siblings don't count. It doesn't feel the same."

"We lost Ianthe," Deuce pointed out.

"When she was like, what? A month old?!"

"Three months," Madison said.

"Doesn't matter," Jason said. He put his face in his knees and wrapped his arms around them. He formed fists out of his sweaty hands. "It's not like you even remember her anyway! You never even met her! Three months..."

"Just calm down," Madison said. "Jason, it's okay. He's safe now. He's free from Dad." Madison hugged Jason, who put his head on her shoulder, crying softly.

"This is so wrong," Lagoona said.

"Madison and Deuce would always say he took it the worst," Seth said, barely more than a whisper. "He struggled after Ashton died." He looked down. "It wasn't until after Madison died that we realized that he wasn't the worst." Everyone left the memory and headed into another one. The memory began in the living room.

"Well, not here again!" Operetta sighed.

"Ghoulia," Clawd said, "are you still recording?" She nodded. "Good. I wasn't sure if you stopped." Eleven-year-old Madison, Deuce, and Jason were on the floor. Mark kicked Jason to the side, and he let out a groan. Marisa put her hand on Mark's arm.

"I know a bit of handiwork," she said. "Especially using electricity."

As if on cue, Frankie sparked.

"That's never a good sign if she's good at something besides picking flowers and taking drugs," Deuce whispered to his siblings. The other two smiled but do so covertly. Marisa pulled out a wire and hooked it up to the outlet. Mark took the attached wire from Marisa and tied another wire around Jason's muscular bicep, which made him fearful. His eyes widened. Mark connected the two wires, sending a shock through the wires. Jason was electrocuted. He convulsed and yelled, his voice cracking and his body shaking uncontrollably. Mark removed the wires for a second, giving Jason a chance to breathe. Only to put them directly back on. He did this a few times. When Mark removed the wires for the last time, Jason slumped forward, dead and cold to the touch. Deuce and Madison cried while Mark and Marisa left the triplets-turned-twins to get rid of the body like usual.

"This is so awful!" Lagoona shrieked, running out of the memory. Frankie chased after her, and the rest of the group followed. Frankie walked with Lagoona to Deuce and Seth, and the rest of the group met them there. Deuce's face is a bit pink, but he's calmed down and his tears are dried.

"We're going to the memories in the diary," Lamia said to her brother and cousin. "You coming?"

Deuce nodded. "Yeah, I'll go." Seth and Deuce stood up, and everyone headed towards a memory. The scene began at nighttime on a tour bus. There was a bunk bed with three beds. On the bottom bunk, thirteen-year-old Viperine and Madison shared the bed, with Madison closest to the bus's wall. On the middle bunk, thirteen-year-old Deuce and Seth shared the bed, with Deuce closest to the bus's wall. On the top bunk, fourteen-year-old Lamia got the bed to herself. Madison and Deuce were still up. They tapped morse code with their nails on the wall, rolling them for a line and tapping once for a dot.

"I love this memory," Deuce laughed.

"I was asleep during it," Seth said. "Now, after many times of hearing about it, I finally get to see it."

"F*ck you guys," Lamia said, rolling her crystal clear blue eyes.

"What happened?" Frankie asked.

"Watch," Viperine answered, pointing to the scene. The tour bus took a sharp turn, and Lamia rolled off the top bunk and fell onto the floor. Deuce perked up, and Madison looked at her cousin on the floor, who was still sleeping. Frankie's group laughed. Deuce shakes Seth's arm. Seth bolts up, hitting his head on the top bunk.

"What?!" The thirteen-year-old Seth whispered, tired from being awoken. Deuce grinned and pointed to the floor. Seth noticed his sister sleeping on the floor and shoved his face into the pillow to muffle his laugh.

"Alright, we're leaving this one now," Lamia said, annoyed. Everyone left the memory and went into another, this time heading into the diary entry memories. In the first, thirteen-year-old Lamia pulled twelve-year-old Seth and Viperine and eleven-year-old Deuce and Madison. They finally made it to a brick building with dirt streaking up and down the walls.

"We're here!" Thirteen-year-old Lamia panted, wiping the sweat off her brow. She put her hands on her hips and looked up at the old building. The three beside her looked up as well.

Madison knitted her eyebrows. "Llama, where are we?" She asked, unknowingly scratching the scales on her left bicep.

"At a surprise! Let's go inside!" Lamia hurried to the steel door and knocked. A slit opened to reveal a pair of black eyes. Once seeing who was at the door, the man unlocked the door and ushered the Gorgons inside. Lamia rushed them into the building before the bodyguard, who was revealed to be a gargoyle, closed and locked the door. They took a look around, and many people of all ages were scattered around the room. They were shooting up and snorting drugs every which way they looked.

"Nope! We are leaving!" Madison said. She turned around to leave, but Lamia pulled her shoulders, turning her back around.

"We're not leaving just yet," Lamia said.

"Why are we here?" Deuce asked. He shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably.

"Luv needed a favor," Lamia answered, "and I needed the cash." She walked towards the back wall, and the others shrugged before following her. She approached a man who was either a bare werewolf or a hairy human- it was hard to tell. He was dividing white powder into thin lines with a razor blade before he stopped to grin at Lamia with a mouthful of blackened teeth.

"If it isn't Lamia Gorgon," the man said. His voice was rough and scratchy, as if he'd had a few too many cigarettes. "What do you need today?"

"I'm delivering a package for a friend." Her voice was confident, as if a forty-year-old addict wasn't in front of her, nodding as she spoke and licking his dry, cracked lips in a way that made the other four cringe internally.

"Ah, Luv?" Lamia nodded. The man handed her a stained paper bag that was closed by being rolled-up at the top. "Pleasure doing business with ya." He winked and grinned again, and Lamia gave a tight smile.

Suddenly, the sound of sirens were heard. They blared through the walls as Lamia screamed, "Oh f*ck!" Everyone began throwing tables and chairs in front of the door to block it, but it was no use, and the cops busted down the door as if it were made of wet paper.

"Freeze!" An officer with a badge that read "Cook" yelled. "You're all under arrest! Put your hands in the air where I can see them." Everyone in the room complied, dropping their bongs and syringes. The plentiful amount of officers grabbed the people by their wrists and handcuffed them, leading them to police cars. Madison and Deuce were thrown into one car, while Seth, Viperine, and Lamia were thrown into another. "You have the right to remain silent. Any-"

"And we have the right to ask why we are arrested," Madison asked.

"You were in a building of illegal drugs," Officer Cook replied, buckling his seatbelt as he turned on the car.

"So we don't have to take the drugs to be arrested?" Deuce interrogated.

"Nope. You don't have to take the drugs. Just be in the same room."

"So let's say you found children in a house where their parents were taking drugs," he pushed further.

"They'd be taken into custody."

Madison scoffed. "What if they weren't even taking the drugs? They were only in the-"

"This was only a what-if question. Why do you care so much?" The siblings go silent. "Never mind." After a few seconds, he continued. "They'll clear your name once they find out you're innocent. But until then, we're holding you accountable."

A moment of uncomfortable silence filled the car, until Madison interrupted the lack of noise. "So do you have a family outside of the police station?" She didn't mean to be nosy, just to stop the silence.

Cook glared at her suspiciously through the mirror before answering. "That information isn't-"

"A wife who's eight months pregnant with a boy, right?"

"H-how did you know that?" Cook sputtered.

Madison shrugged. "So I was right?" The cop just stared at her. Madison nodded, staring out the window. "That's nice."

The car ride continued to be uncomfortable, until finally, Cook parked the car. "We're here." He got out of the car and threw open the door for the triplets. He dragged them out and walked them inside the prison. A woman with a brown hairdo sat behind a desk with a filing cabinet behind her. She eyed the siblings with suspicion. "Mrs. Winestock," Cook said, tipping his hat.

"Officer Cook," Mrs. Winestock said, brushing off whatever was on her orange pencil skirt. "How's Lisa doing?"

"Fine. Fine," he nodded. "I need clothes for these two." Mrs. Winestock nodded before heading to a bookshelf and picking up two orange jumpsuits. She returned to her desk and sat the clothes on the counter. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she replied, going back to her original business. The cop picked up the clothes and walked the human-monster hybrids into a room with stalls. He uncuffed the duo and handed them their clothes before shoving each into a stall. Each of the stall's walls began a good ways up, so privacy wasn't an option. Madison got on her hands and knees, pressing her face close to the next stall.

"Deuce!" She whispered, trying to peer into the stall. Deuce knelt down next to her on the opposite side.

"Madison!" He whispered. "These aren't exactly the most private stalls in the world. What if I were changing?"

Madison shrugged. "I know you well enough to know that when changing, you always take your shirt off first. You'd be fine. Calm your tits."

"Still!"

"Our weapons?"

Deuce's eyes widened in realization. Almost immediately, the cop banged on the stall door.

"Hurry up in there!"

"Let me see your knife," Madison whispered hurriedly. Deuce slipped his sister the knife in the waistband of his pants, and Madison accepted it quickly. "I'll give it back as soon as I can."

"Won't they notice?"

"They never checked us before."

Deuce nodded, and they both got up off the floor and changed as quickly as they can. The clothes were too big, and Madison used this to her advantage, concealing the knives behind her back, secured by the band of her bra. She came out of the stall to see Deuce and Cook already waiting for her.

"It's about d*mn time," Cook grumbled, grabbing the duo by their wrists and bringing them to a photographer. There was a camera facing a white wall with black measurements and markings on it.

"Stand in front of the board," the photographer said. He readied his camera, not paying attention to them. "One at a time." The cop shoved Madison towards the wall as loud footsteps approached the room.

"Let go us!" a girl cried. As they walked into the room, they realized it was Viperine.

"What?!" Seth cried. "No! Keep this one!" He motioned towards Lamia who threw her handcuffed hands in the air.

"This is so f*cking stupid! We didn't take any drugs!" Lamia yelled.

"Understood," Viperine said, rolling her pink eyes.

"Think of it this way- it could be worse," Lamia shrugged.

"You can suck it, Llama," Seth scoffed. "Suck my middle f*cking finger. I'll have your eye on my dresser tonight."

"For the eighth time!" The officer that held them- Officer Smith- cried out. "You have the right to remain silent! Take a hint!"

"Lick my balls, Smith," Seth said, spitting on Smith's shiny, black shoes.

"You disgraceful, little bastard!" Smith slammed Seth up against the wall.

"You can suck it too!" Seth said. "I've got two middle fingers!"

"Hey, hey!" Cook yelled.

"Turn your head," the photographer said. He leaned into his camera. "That's good." He snapped the picture. "Turn to the left. That's it. Right, now." After Madison's pictures were completed. The photographer stood up straight. "Next!" Cook threw Deuce on the floor, who caught himself before he hit the ground. Cook grabbed Madison as Deuce stood in front of the wall. "Please remove your sunglasses."

"Gladly," Deuce said. He looked at Cook before taking off his sunglasses. Cook turned to stone, and Deuce put the glasses back on. Another cop rushed into the room.

"Take these two away!" The photographer pointed to the triplets-turned-twins. The new cop took the triplets by their wrists and dragged them to a cell in solitary. He locked the door before leaving. Madison returned the knife to her brother.

"Thanks," Deuce said, securing the knife in the waistband of his briefs.

"Thanks for getting us out of there!" Madison said, leaning against the cell wall.

"It wasn't hard to do."

"That's why it helps to have contacts."

"Lamia got a red contact stuck in her eye. Remember?"

"Of course!" Madison laughed. "It was hilarious!"

"I don't want that to happen to me," Deuce said, settling in the bench next to Madison.

"Ready to leave this memory?" Lamia said, turning to face the team.

"Yeah," Frankie said, nodding. Everyone left the the memory and entered another one, which began in a cell again. This one held eleven-year-old Madison, twelve-year-old Viperine, and thirteen-year-old Lamia. Viperine and Lamia were out cold, sleeping against the cold wall of the cell. Madison, who was awake, held the knife in her left hand. She slowly dragged it across her palms, pressing down with each second. It left a crimson trail of blood. Draculaura screamed but didn't faint. Everyone else except Deuce, Seth, and Lamia was wide-eyed.

"Draculaura!" Frankie gasped. "You didn't faint!"

"I...I didn't...You're right!" Draculaura smiled, her pearly fangs glistening brightly.

Madison squeezed more blood out of her hands with her fingers before smearing the blood on the walls, on her arms, on her face, on the floors. Everywhere she could. Officer Cook walked past the cell, holding a paper cup of water. He saw the blood and the knife in the gorgon girl's hands. He spit out the water he had in his mouth and turned to her quickly.

"Where did you get that?!" he asked incredulously.

"Oh, this? I stole it from the abusive father that you said you wouldn't do anything about," Madison said calmly, as if the words meant nothing to her. And they didn't.

"I knew you looked like a child abuse victim." He turned to look down the hall, away from the gorgon. "Officer Smith!" The cop that brought the siblings' cousins in came rushing down the hall.

"Sir?"

"You're the officer who took Seth and Deuce to their cells, right?" Madison asked, pushing the knife further and further into her knuckles.

"Oh, you mean the loud-mouthed, crude-"

"We're Greek," Madison interrupted. "Yelling is a form of language."

"Smith," Cook said, ignoring her, "take the ghoul." Smith grabbed Madison by her wrists as Cook put one hand on the back of her neck and one hand grabbed and held both wrists behind her back. The cops took the duo to the stalls. Madison was surprised to see eleven-year-old Deuce already sitting in the stalls. She raised an eyebrow at him, and he winked knowingly. She smiled in return, pride gathering inside her. _Even apart, our hearts were together._

Smith brought Madison to her own stall. "Strip to your underwear." She scoffed.

"You're a full-grown man. I'm an eleven-year-old ghoul."

"You can take them off yourself or I can do it for you. Your choice." She reluctantly removed her prison uniform. Smith eyed her up and down as she stripped. "You've got quite a rack for an eleven-year-old."

"So you're hitting on children now?!" Madison said, her eyes wide and full of rage. Smith reached out to touch Madison's chest. She stole Smith's taser off his belt and used it against him. He screamed out in pain. Cook barged into the stall, his eyes wide.

"What's wrong?!"

"That little sh*t used a taser on me!"

"You tried to touch my breasts!" Madison shot back.

"I was right," Cook said. "She is crazy." He grabbed her arms and looked at the bruises and welts running up and down her limbs and torso.

"See anything on the other one?" Smith asked, standing up.

"The boy's the same way," Cook answered. "Completely used. His skin is covered in wounds all over his body." Smith nodded. "I'll go tell Winestock." He walked off, leaving Smith with Madison. Madison got dressed into her prison jumpsuit once more. When she was finished, Smith pulled her to her brother's stall. Smith took both out into the hall and waited for the other officer. Cook showed up a few minutes later.

"Well?" Smith asked.

"Mental Institute of Nevada." Deuce and Madison looked at each other fearfully before sitting on the floor to wait. Roughly five minutes passed before Mrs. Winestock showed up to the party.

"A man named Dr. Grove is here for them. He's from the MIN." Almost immediately, a male in his mid-thirties with brown hair walked up to the five. He wore wire glasses, a white lab coat, and shiny, black shoes.

"Hello. I'm Dr. Grove," the man said, reaching out to shake the officers' hands. He pointed to the siblings.

"These are the two you were talking about?"

"Yes, sir," Cook answered.

"I see." Dr. Grove eyed the triplets closely and carefully, inspecting every last detail. "They look like abuse victims. Or any certain of domestic violence really."

"They already admitted they were," Cook said. Dr. Grove nodded before leading the triplets to a white car with a symbol on the side.

"You people are getting boring. Can we leave?" Lamia groaned.

"Yeah, I guess," Operetta said. Everyone left the memory and walked into another. It began in a dirty cell. Eleven-year-old Madison paced the floor, while her brother leaned against the grimy wall.

"Do they not realize that there's a window right there?" Deuce asked, pointing at the window. "One without bars no less."

"I guess not," Madison said. She stopped pacing and walked up to the window. She made a tight fist and punched the widow. She punched it thrice more, and it cracked. Deuce stepped in and punched the window, breaking it automatically with one hit. He was left with only a bloody hand. He wrapped it in the bottom of his shirt, staining the white uniform with the crimson blood.

"Uhh...Your-"

"It's fine," Deuce said. "You've seen me punch mirrors." Deuce climbed out of the window and dropped to the ground. They were only on the second floor, so it wasn't too bad. Madison jumped next, and Deuce caught her before putting her on the ground.

"Should we break them out now...or...?"

"Yeah." Madison nodded. The duo ran towards the prison, which wasn't too far away. When they reached the entrance, they stopped.

"Remember which cells are theirs?" Deuce asked. His sister nodded. "Good. Let's go." He turned to start running but was quickly interrupted.

"Wait!" Deuce stopped. "Don't we have a plan?" Madison asked.

"Okay..." Deuce said, thinking for a few seconds. "Break in. Try not to get caught. Free the trio."

"Pretty lousy plan."

"Our time period isn't long."

"Is there a Plan B?"

"If we get caught...kick them in the balls."

"What if they're ghouls?!"

"I don't know!" Deuce cried out. "Kick them in their vagina! Now, let's go!"

Both took off running. They entered the prison, whose security was less than ideal.

"This is so stupid!" Madison panted as they ran.

"I'm open to any ideas, Maddie!"

"Then stop."

Both froze. Madison saw a sleeping officer. She motioned him to her brother. Deuce nodded, sneaking up behind the officer and stealing a taser, two containers of pepper spray, and his keys. He tossed the taser to Maddie, and both exited the room, returning down the hallway and beginning to run once more. They soon reached the cell where their female cousins were being held.

"Let us out of here!" Viperine said. Madison took the keys from Deuce and unlocked the door. The duo exited the cell, and everyone took off running. They hurried down a few more halls before stopping at another cell. Seth laid on the bench, staring up at the ceiling.

"You bored there?" Madison asked with a smirk.

Seth grinned. "Bout time you showed up!"

Deuce unlocked the door and hurried Seth out. They all took off running.

"'S so weird," Seth said as they ran.

"What?" Deuce asked.

"You two are in white. I never see that." Madison rolled her emerald eyes. Deuce handed Seth and Lamia pepper spray, and Madison gave Viperine a taser.

"How do you use this?" Viperine asked.

"Play around with it," Deuce shrugged. Everyone took off running. Seth sprayed the pepper spray into his mouth while they skidded down the hallway. A cop with a name tag that read "Faire" spotted the group.

"Hey!" Faire shouted. "You there! Stop!" They ignored the officer as Lamia sprayed him with her container of pepper spray. "Ah! My eyes!" He gripped his burning eyes as Viperine used the taser on the cop, who screamed and fell to the floor. The group continued to run as another cop showed up.

"Freeze! Remain right where you are!" Madison pulled out her knife and stabbed him in the thigh, not deep enough to do real damage but just enough to hurt him and slow him down. He screamed, and everyone continued to run. Another officer appeared directly ahead of the group right in their path.

"You'll never make it out of here!" Deuce punched the cop, who plummeted to the ground. The group kept running, and finally, they reached the exit. Madison quickly grabbed their original clothes from the front as they left the prison.

When they were a good bit away, panting and sucking as much air into their lungs as they could, Seth cheered, punching the air with his fists. "That was freaking awesome!" Everyone glared at him.

"Maybe if it wasn't a life or death situation!" Viperine snapped. Her snakes hissed at him.

"We made it," Lamia panted. "That's all that matters."

"No thanks to you," Deuce hissed. "You got us in that mess in the first place!"

"That punch you threw," Seth told Deuce. "That was awesome."

"You learn a few things from watching Mark," Deuce said, shrugging. Everyone left the memory.

"You don't have to visit them all," Seth said as Ghoulia shut the memory's door. "We still need to find memories of you guys."

"I don't feel right showing them Dad anyway," Deuce admitted. "Especially when he's just yelling at us."

"Hey, you ghouls go ahead," Cleo said. "I'm going to look around."

"Don't visit Maddie and the others yet," Frankie said.

Cleo rolled her eyes. "I wasn't going to."

* * *

Cleo walked down the corridor and left Madison's dreams and memories. She saw the blank wall between Madison's door and Evangeline's door. Almost like a flicker, another door appeared in between them for half a second. "What?" Cleo asked herself. She blinked and rubbed her eyes. The door appeared and disappeared again. The mummy put her hand on the wall, and the door appeared again, this time staying in place. The door had an elaborate design of a snake twisted around the neck of a guitar. The lock was that of a keyboard. "This must be Deuce's door," Cleo whispered.

As if something triggered it, Cleo received flashbacks of the Gorgons calling Deuce by a certain nickname. Without hesitation, Cleo typed it into the computer keyboard. B-A-B-Y. It unlocked.

"By the grace of Ra..." Cleo pushed the door opened and walked through it. She took out her own phone and began recording. She went into one of Deuce's memories. Madison, Deuce, Viperine, and Lamia sat in twelve-year-old Deuce and Madison's bedroom. Madison was drawing a picture in a notebook, and everyone else was just talking about nothing. Viperine had a magazine in her lap. Lamia reached over and grabbed Deuce's water bottle, twisting the cap open and drinking the water inside. She spit it out.

"What the f*ck is this?! Tap water?" Lamia asked.

"Yeah, so?" Deuce said sarcastically.

"What are you doing serving me tap water?"

"It was my water!"

"Ya freaking turtle!"

"I never told you to drink it!" Deuce said. "Also, there's a lot of turtles that are saltwater!"

"Y'know what? You get me a bottle of fresh water. Now. Otherwise you're dead. Go. Just go." Deuce rolled his eyes and got off the bed, beginning to walk off. "Unbelievable! GO!" As he made his way to the door, Lamia threw the water bottle at him. It hit his right shoulder blade. "Go!" Deuce opened the door and found Seth, who overheard everything, standing at the entrance.

"Was it really tap?" Seth whispered.

"No," Deuce whispered, "but the next one will be nail polish remover." Seth grinned and walked though the door, settling on the bed beside Madison. Deuce came back with the water bottle full. He tossed it to Lamia.

"Is it tap?"

"Nope." Lamia opened it and drank it, but she spit it out immediately. "What is that?!"

"Not water, I'll tell you that." He stood up. "Okay, but for real this time. I'm getting actual water." He left the room once more.

"Angel Maraschino, the celebrity pop star, removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes," Viperine read out of the magazine. "Why is this even in here?"

"Who would remove their ovaries and fallopian tubes?" Madison asked.

"What are ovaries and fallopian tubes?" Seth asked.

"If I draw him a picture, he won't understand," Madison said to the other girls in the room.

"I know how to explain it," Lamia said. Deuce opened the door and began walking in the room just as Lamia said, "Ovaries are woman testicles." Viperine and Madison burst out laughing. Deuce, who was confused, and Seth, who was shocked at the thought of removing any of part of someone's genitals.

"I would never try to remove..." Seth said, droning off.

"What the f*ck are you talking about?!" Deuce asked. "Removing...wait, what? Woman testicles?"

"Nothing," Lamia said, laughing. Deuce tossed a bottle of water at her, and she caught it. She chugged half the bottle in one go. "Thanks." Deuce grabbed his own water bottle and downed a quarter of it.

"Why are you smirking?" Deuce asked.

"Before you came in, something stupid was in Champagne's magazine," Lamia said.

"It's about women testicles," Madison clarified.

"Ah." Deuce took another sip of his drink before closing it. "I swear something's up."

"Just us and our women testicles," Seth said.

"Case confirmed," Madison chuckled. "Seth is, in fact, a ghoul."

"No, I have all the necessary parts to be a dude," Seth said. Deuce emptied the water bottle and chucked it at Lamia.

"If it's poisoned, gods help you, I will murder you, Llama."

"Sorry, couldn't hear you with all that c*ck in your mouth."

"Lamia!" Viperine shrieked.

"What?! I've said worse. I've told one dude that I've worn heels bigger than his d*ck, you know that?"

Cleo smiled and left the memory, walking a good bit down the hall before entering another memory. It began on the side of the middle school. Fourteen-year-old Deuce sat with his legs up a few inches from his chest and his elbows rested on his knees. A younger Cleo comes up besides him and stood next to him.

"Hey." Deuce looked up but didn't say anything. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Why aren't you in the lunchroom like everyone else?"

"I could ask the same to you."

"Meatloaf day," Cleo admitted. "No one wants to be there for that." She sat down, settling beside him. "But I never see you in the creepateria anyway."

"I usually don't eat. At least, not in there I don't."

"Why not?"

"I just don't." _You just don't feel hungry anymore after a few days without food_. Cleo heard Deuce say in his thoughts.

"Oh," the younger Cleo said. "Well...have you heard the new teacher?"

"Which one?" Deuce asked.

"Mrs. Foot."

"No, I haven't heard her yet."

"She sounds like she connected her lips to a factory's machine."

"Smoker?"

"Must be."

"Yeah," Deuce said. "My stepmom smokes a lot, and she sounds really sick."

"Doesn't she have brown hair, blue eyes, and-"

Deuce sucked in all his breath, filling his lungs to the brim with air before saying "Talks like this" in a hoarse voice." He let go of the breath. "Yep. That's the one." Cleo laughed.

"Marisa, right?" Deuce nodded. "How's she?"

"Awful."

"Maybe you'll learn to like her."

"I will never like her, and it's not because I'm stubborn. I just cannot stand her."

"Well, what's wrong with her?"

"Everything."

"Oh." _You don't know the half of it._

"So...how's your old man?" Deuce asked out loud.

"Eh," Cleo responded. "Been better. Been worse."

"And Nefera is..."

"Atrocious!"

"That's typical of her."

They sat in silence for a few seconds. Finally, Cleo asked "So why do you come here?"

"Few reasons." Deuce stared out into the trees ahead of them. "Teachers never come here, so they can't find and yell at me for not being where I'm supposed to be. Plus I'm right next to the bell, so I know when lunch is done. It's my alone time. Well, except for today." He turned to look at the mummy. "How did you find me anyway?"

"Heard hissing."

"Course." Cleo left the memory and entered another one, an older one. This time, the memory began on a tour bus. Thirteen-year-old Deuce and Seth sat on their middle bunk on the bed. Thirteen-year-old Madison walked around, fourteen-year-old Lamia sat on her top bunk, and thirteen-year-old Viperine did makeup swatches on her hands and arms on the bottom bunk.

"Alright," Madison said. She stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. "Should I sing and do this?"

"Definitely!" Seth grinned.

"I tried to kill my pain, but only brought more. So much more." Madison's voice was even more flawless in real life than on the videos. She laid down in front of the door before kicking herself up. She stood on her head, leaning against the door. "I lay dying, and I'm pouring crimson, regret, and betrayal. I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming. Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost?" She kicked herself down and stood up. "My God, my tourniquet! Return to me salvation! My God, my tourniquet! Return to me salvation!" She moved to the center of the floor. "Do you remember me? Lost for so long." She put her hands up in the air towards the roof of the bus. "Will you be on the other side or will you forget me?" Madison attempted to do a cartwheel. When she was upside and on her left hand, she fell backwards. Everyone laughed at her, and she stood up. "I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming. Am I too lost to be saved? Am I too lost? My God, my tourniquet! Return to me salvation! My God, my tourniquet! Return to me salvation!"

"Just sing," Seth said, still chuckling.

"Return to me salvation..." She sang quietly.

"Don't just sing," Lamia said. "Scream!" Madison complied.

"I WANT TO DIE!" She screeched the next lyrics.

"Atta girl!"

"My God, my tourniquet! Return to me salvation! My God, my tourniquet! Return to me salvation! My wounds cry for the grave! My soul cries for deliverance! Will I be denied Christ?! Tourniquet! My suicide."

Cleo left the memory and entered another, one that took place much later and much further down the hallway. As she opened the door, she saw thirteen-year-old Deuce in his bedroom laying on his bed and facing the wall. Thirteen-year-old Seth and Viperine were also in the room, as was fourteen-year-old Lamia. Seth sat on the bed behind Deuce, Viperine paced around the room, and Lamia leaned against the wall.

"It's going to be okay, Baby," Viperine whispered. "She's safe." Deuce inhaled sharply, but other than that, he made no noise. Viperine sighed and walked up to him, putting her hand on his left shoulder to rub it. "You're going to be alright." Deuce sat up.

"I just...I need a minute." He got off the bed and walked into the bathroom that was connected to the bedroom. He turned the faucet on and splashed cold water on his face, which was stained, red, and hot to the touch from crying. As he looked up at his reflection in the mirror, Cleo heard him, although his lips did not move. _Eye for an eye._ He looked directly into his reflection's emerald eyes. _Blood for blood._

He left the bathroom wordlessly. His cousins looked up as he walked a foot or two to the bedroom door before leaving that too. He crept down the hall silently. He trailed down the stairs, careful not to make a sound, and peered behind the wall to see Mark watching television in the living room. Deuce reached down to the floor and picked up a broken beer bottle by its neck. The body was broken, sharp shards of glass jutting each way. He crept into the living room. Silently. Carefully. Trying not to make his presence known. As he was right behind his father, Deuce raised the bottle high, ready to bring it into his throat and slice his neck.

Mark twisted around and grabbed the bottle, swinging it down into Deuce's forehead. It sliced the skin, but not deep enough to do any lasting damage or even need stitches. He pushed his son into the wall, pushing the bottle against Deuce's neck.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, faggot?" He pressed the bottle in further, almost to where it cut the skin. "You think this is some game? Where you can just kill off whoever kills your favorite players? Tough luck. Life doesn't work that way." The skin split as Mark pushed the bottle in a millimeter more. Deuce gasped slightly. "And if you think you can just get rid of me so easily, you've made a mistake. I'm in control, not you." With that, he took the broken bottle away from Deuce's neck and stabbed into his torso, slicing it open from one side to the other. Deuce screamed, dropping to his knees as tears leaked down his face, broken glass and crumbs digging into his knees. Mark dropped the bottle to the floor and left Deuce on the ground. With shaky knees, Deuce stood up. He walked like a newborn giraffe up the stairs, breathing heavily with each step.

As he got to his bedroom, he opened the door and refused to look at Seth or Viperine, the only ones in the room, as he covered his torso with his arms, squeezing it like a tourniquet. He entered the bathroom wordlessly, shutting and locking the door behind him. He removed his arms, and blood poured from the gash across his stomach, bleeding profusely. _F*ck f*ck f*ck!_ He tore off his soaked shirt and threw it on the ground, not caring where it landed. He looked down, seeing how bad it truly was.

Blood was everywhere. The cut was deeper than he thought, and it was a wonder he made it up the stairs. Layers and layers of skin were sliced open, and the gash was an inch thick, wrapping around the front of his stomach. The pain was agonizing, and Deuce knew Mark hit something he shouldn't have. Something important. Something dire.

Without time to think, Deuce threw open the cabinet door of which the mirror was attached to. Bottles flew every which way as he dug around for the two things Madison always kept with handy: a needle and thread. He pushed bottles and boxes of prescription drugs out of the way, struggling to find the thin piece of metal and spool.

On the other side of the door, Seth heard the ruckus being caused in the bathroom. He tucked his phone into his pocket and walked to the bathroom. He twisted the doorknob to find it locked. He put his ear up against the door. "Deuce, is everything okay in there?"

"Yes, I'm fine!" Deuce said as he poured rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, wiping the soaked cotton on the needle. With shaky hands, he struggled to guide the thread through the minuscule hole. Finally, he did it. He knotted the thread before going to the bathtub, laying down in it, and exposing his torso.

With the first hole, he screamed. He gritted his teeth as he pushed the sharp needle through his skin.

Seth pounded on the other side of the door. "Deuce! Deuce, what's wrong?!"

"Nothing!" Deuce screeched, groaning directly after as he pushed the needle through on the opposite side and tugged, trying to close the gap. "Just go away!" He screamed again, his hands shaking more and more as blood soaked the inside of the bathtub.

"Deuce! Open the door! Open the door! Open the door!" Seth said quickly, panicking. "Come on. Open up. Open the door." He stumbled over his words, pounding on the door with his fists.

Deuce screamed again, louder with each new hole the needle made. His hands shook, and his breathing became heavier and more labored.

Seth gave up on using his fists to pound on the door. Instead, he settled for slamming his body against the door. His bicep and shoulder stung and started to bruise, but he refused to stop. "DEUCE, OPEN THE F*CKING DOOR!"

On the other side, Deuce screamed again, tears streaming down his face. It was getting hard to concentrate now, and everything was slowly turning black and red. Hazy. But he needed to finish. He wouldn't let himself bleed out. So he kept piercing small holes with the tip of the needle and spreading the hole even wider with the body of it. He leaned back, taking in shallow, staggered breaths. The sewing job was suboptimal at best, but he thought he was doing a great job considering the circumstances.

Deuce was roughly three-quarters of the way done when Seth finally knocked the door down. It plummeted to the tile, and Seth ran in, taking in the view. Blood was everywhere, and Deuce's shaky hands were causing him to struggle with the last bit. "OH MY GODS!"

"Shh...it's fine, it's fine, it's fine," Deuce said, still trying to focus on getting the last few stitches in. He screamed again, and Seth yanked out his phone to call 911. "No! Don't call! I'm fine- I'm _going to be_ fine." Deuce took a strained breath, and Seth sat on the side of the bathtub beside him, soaking his jeans in Deuce's blood. He grabbed his cousin's shaking hands to steady them as Deuce finished the last few stitches.

Deuce gently pulled the needle to tighten the string and almost passed out in the process. The excruciating pain made him see stars, and he collapsed backwards. With his last remaining bit of energy, he knotted the bloody string, and Seth trimmed it short. Deuce leaned back, trying to get in more oxygen. Seth leaned close to him, pulling him to his chest and soaking his shirt in blood.

"Gods, I thought you were trying to kill yourself," Seth whispered. "Especially after...after..." Deuce panted as tears streamed down his face. It wasn't long before the black took over and he lost conscience.

Cleo left the memory and entered another. It took place in Deuce's bedroom. Thirteen-year-old Deuce had his shirt off and the fan on. The cold air that circulated around the room brushed its chilly fingers across the fresh cuts, bruises, and welts across Deuce's skin. His back had taken the brunt of it, so he laid on his stomach instead. Someone knocked on the door. Deuce didn't have the energy to even lift his head to look, but Lamia entered the bedroom anyway. She had a small cardboard box in her hands. She set the box on the ground near Deuce's bed as she kneeled beside him.

"Are those from today?" She asked, poking a minuscule spot on his side that was free of wounds. He didn't answer, so she picked up the box before going to the other side of the bed to look at his face. He returned the look with tired eyes as she poked the long scar going straight down his left side. Madison sewed it up about a year before, but it hadn't faded in the slightest. This scar plus the newer addition on his stomach formed a 'T' across his torso.

"Most of them are," Deuce mumbled, his weak voice scratchy. Lamia nodded before reaching the box again.

"So I was out in town today," Lamia started. "I passed a sewer when I found this." She lifted the box to Deuce's bed and pulled out a gray object, setting it beside her cousin. Deuce peeked through his black eye as it moved closer to him. Upon further inspection, he saw that it was a rat with two tails. On one of its tails was a tag that read "Oregon Center for Science and Studies Test No. 1842." Deuce rubbed the rat's fuzzy head with two bruised fingers. "He must've escaped. I'm guessing he's mutated, since they probably did some weird sh*t to him with chemicals and crap." The rat crawled closer to Deuce, resting on his arm. "I figured you'd probably like to keep him. You could use the company anyway. Even if it is just a rat."

Deuce smiled as he continued to pet the rat. The animal relaxed quickly, feeling safe beside the gorgon, even though he had a head full of snakes. "Perseus," Deuce said after a moment. Lamia raised an eyebrow. "Not because of Mom, but because of Dad, who says he didn't do a good enough job when he killed her." Lamia nodded and stared at Perseus as he rapidly fell asleep next to his new owner. Deuce looked up at Lamia. "Thank you." He smiled. "I really do appreciate it."

Lamia grinned back. She ran her long fingers through his green mambas. "Anytime, Ugly." She left Deuce alone in the bedroom with the sleeping rat.

Cleo smiled and left the memory. She entered another one a bit of the ways down. The scene began in a living room, but it wasn't the one in Greece, his father's, or his mother's. It was one Cleo hadn't seen before. It had soft, muted teal walls and white accents. The white, leather couches sat in front of the white, velvet curtains. The floors were a white, engineered hardwood, but the wood looked more like light gray. A light teal rug laid in the middle of the floor. Fourteen-year-old Deuce, alone in the room, sat on one of the sofas. He tapped his fingers against the leather and waited patiently. After a moment, a young woman, only thirty-four, walked in, two cups of tea in either of her hands. She was slender, svelte, and willowy, all of which in an elegant way that suited her. She had bright green eyes, a pert nose, and light pink lips. She wore a white, Grecian dress with a flowy skirt that had a Bohemian flare. Her brown curls reached her tailbone and were adorned with a flower crown, pink roses resting gracefully atop her head like a crown. She handed Deuce one of the cups and joined him on the couch. Deuce drank the tea for only a few seconds before setting it on a tray on the ottoman.

"Aunt Moni?" Deuce asked. The woman- Monique- looked over at her nephew as she continued to drink the scalding tea. "What was Mark like?"

"Medusa never told you?"

Deuce shook his head. "It wasn't exactly a topic she liked talking about." Monique nodded, playing with the handle on the cup before setting it down on the ottoman.

"I don't know how much you know...or even if you know anything at all," she started. "Way back when, when Jesus walked the earth, generations and generations ago, on my mom's side of the family, one of them fell in love with American names, and she started a tradition where she'd name all her kids American names. And those kids would name their kids American names and so on. Whatever." She stopped to roll her eyes before continuing again. "So when Lucille, your yiayia, married Eulalios, she carried on that tradition. But for some weird reason, she liked names that started with 'M.' They had four children. From oldest to youngest, they were Michael, Mark, Macey, and finally me, Monique.

"Michael was the golden boy of the family. Everyone loved him and thought he was perfect. And Mark and Michael were always super close. They did everything together and were closer than most siblings. Mark met Medusa when he went to college in America. He went to Oregon State University and worked a part time job on the side. He met her when she was visiting her friends. Anyway, they went back to Greece together, and when he introduced her to the family, they despised her. Only three of us liked her: me, your great-great-grandmother Bethania-who's like, ninety-seven, and Michael. Michael loved her, and they quickly became great friends. Us three were the only ones from the family to show up to the wedding.

"Micheal married a woman named Sophia. The family instantly loved her, even though they loathed Medusa. Simply because Sophia was human and Medusa wasn't. It's honestly kind of sickening the things they told Medusa as they welcomed Sophia into the family with open arms.

"Sophia was a month pregnant and Mark and Medusa had only been married a few months when Michael died in a car accident. Mark felt horrible. He turned to drinking and quickly left the family's radar. As Mark left the family, Sophia was welcomed further and further in, replacing both of the boys. She and her new daughter, Niobe, who lived without a father, stayed with the family even though Michael was gone. But Mark had completely disappeared. The last we heard was that he and Medusa had twins. He moved back to America, and that was it." The two stayed silent for a while. Deuce finished his tea before finally breaking the silence.

"They divorced."

"What?"

"Mom and Dad. They divorced."

"When?"

"I was four." He played with the handle of the cup as he refused to look up at her. "It was pretty messy. They screamed at each other and would throw things around. Mom put a knife to Dad's neck the night we left. We went to court, and Mom tried to get custody, but she's a monster, and Dad's a human, so they put us with him." Monique nodded in understanding.

"Dad moved to America first. To Salem, Oregon. Mom quickly followed and moved shortly after. She already had a house there, but she decided to just stay there permanently instead of with Aunt Stheno and Aunt Euryale." Deuce stopped playing with the cup and just stared at the rim on the inside. "He remarried only year later."

"He did?!"

"Yeah."

"I didn't know that."

"Her name's Marisa."

"Well...what's she like?"

"Horrible." Deuce shrugged. "It hasn't gotten much better. Especially since Madison's gone."

"Wait, what?" Monique stared at Deuce with wide eyes. He tore his eyes away from the bottom of the cup to look at her green eyes with his own. "What do you mean she's gone?"

"She died..." He looked at his hands, which laid in his lap. "She was murdered." They sat in silence for a moment before Monique sighed.

"I guess there's more to Mark than we don't know."

"Speaking of," Deuce said. He looked back up. "They didn't have twins. We were triplets. But Ianthe was a stillborn."

"Really?!" Deuce nodded. Neither of them knew what to say, so they sat in silence, staring at the walls, their laps, anything but each other.

Finally, Monique asked, "Do you like America?" Deuce shrugged.

"I guess. It's nice and all, but I didn't get to see my half siblings much."

"The ones from your mother?"

"Well, them too, but the ones from Dad as well."

"Mark doesn't have any other children...does he?" Monique's eyes widened in confusion. Deuce nodded and looked over towards her.

"Yeah, he cheated on Mom a lot when they were married. Hell, he cheats on Marisa now." Deuce tensed up slightly. "We don't know with how many. But eight of them got pregnant. One got pregnant twice, and another had twins. There were eight of them, but only one of them's alive now."

Monique closed her eyes. Her head spun with the new information she received. Finally, she took a breath. "Do you miss them?"

"Every second," Deuce answered truthfully. "But not as much as Madison." They sat in silence for a bit before Cleo left the memory. She leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths in, trying to clear her head from the information overload. After steadying her breaths, she headed down the hallways until she saw a corner. The hallway took a sharp turn at a right angle. She chose the memory that was two doors down from the door on the corner. She entered the memory. The scene started at an airport. Fifteen-year-old Seth and fourteen-year-old Deuce stood by the exit, and sixteen-year-old Lamia tapped her foot impatiently. Seth and Lamia were about to board the plane but were saying goodbye to their cousin first.

"You just have a few more days," Seth said to Deuce, who looked very sickly, pale, and uneasy. "The court case is in like, a week. And your dad's stopped, so you should be good."

"Wait, Seth-"

"Seth, we need to _go_ ," Lamia pushed, gritting her teeth.

"Hold on," Seth said, turning towards his sister. He looked back towards Deuce before saying, "We'll see you in about two months. It'll fly by. You'll be okay."

"No, listen I-" Deuce began sobbing uncontrollably and shaking violently. Seth's gray eyes widened in horror as he tried to calm down his cousin. "I can't do this. Please don't leave me. Please don't leave me here alone." Seth grabbed Deuce's arms in an attempt to calm him down, but Deuce only cried harder. Seeing as an audience was starting to look towards them, Seth tried to shush Deuce and squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Deuce, it's going to be o-"

"No, no, no. You can't leave me. You can't leave me alone with him."

"Why?" Seth's storm cloud eyes bored into Deuce's green ones. "Why not?"

"You just can't."

"Listen, you have to talk to me."

"I just-"

Lamia was already fed up. She had been the entire month. But finally, she cracked.

"Deuce." She glared at him, and Deuce looked up from his hands to listen. "I don't know what your f*cking problem is, but you need to calm the f*ck down right now. I'm sick up putting up with your bullsh*t; we all are. You need to stop pushing your godd*mn problems on everyone else and start manning the f*ck up because no one wants to put up with this anymore." At this point, Deuce stopped crying. He stared emotionlessly at Lamia with only a look of hurt etched across his face. "I'm so sick of this. Face the facts: I don't care. We don't care. _None of us care._ And if you can't see that by now, then that's your own f*cking problem. We can't fix this for you. We're not your f*cking saviors, and we can't solve all your problems.

"Madison died. Big deal! It was two years ago. Get over it! We all have! Why can't you? Is that because you've never actually had to face your own problems until now? At this point, all you f*cking want is attention, and I'm sure as hell not going to be the one to give it to you. Grow. Up. Because one day, you'll realize what a f*cking nuisance you're being. And by then, everyone's going to have already left."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"Just GET OUT!" The world was silent. No one moved. One single tear ran down Deuce's cheek, and he left it alone to fall to the smooth floors. Finally, he nodded.

"Alright," he said emotionlessly. "If that's what you want, I'll leave." He turned away from his cousins and left without looking back.

Behind him, Seth stared, feeling a pang of guilt and a sense of dread, feeling like something bad was going to happen. But Lamia pulled him to the line, and they left, disappearing from view.

As Deuce left the airport, he felt his stomach and heart get tied up in his throat. He heard crying and looked around only to find that it was coming from himself. As if on cue, it began to rain. His last hope, his last chance, his last time seeing them. They were gone. And they weren't coming back. He cried harder, letting the rain disguise the tears. Not knowing where to go, he decided on an abandoned hotel about a twenty minute walk from the airport.

He reached the hotel, and it looked like a ghost town. The red brick was stained with dirt and was in desperate need of a pressure washing. The shingles on the roof were falling off, and the rails looked like they were on their last leg. The hotel was neglected...like him. Deuce stepped onto the rickety metal stairs. They shook with each step, and rust stained the rails, but nonetheless, he trudged up. When he got to the top floor, he stepped onto the balcony and lifted himself up to the roof. When he was fully up, he stood on the ramshackle roof and looked out into the sky.

Stars. There were hundreds of them. _Millions_ even. Hundreds and hundreds of millions. He wanted to count them just to see how long it took. The moon was full and glowed down, shining its light on his face. Correction. A _reflection_ of its light. It could never shine its own light, no matter how badly it wanted to. But it was beautiful. Beautiful and dark and elegant. And oh, how the moon reminded him of Madison.

He looked down. He must've been up a good thirteen stories. One step was all it took. He wouldn't have to deal with it. Wouldn't deal with anything. He'd never have to go to school to be forgotten by teachers and pushed around by students. He'd never have to go home to be beaten and locked away by his father. He'd never have to go the bar and return home red in the face and full of shame. He'd never have to face the world.

Deuce took a step forward. The streets were so small, and the cars were even smaller. No one would find him until morning, and by then, it'd already be too late.

"Come on, Deuce," he heard a voice say. He turned around to see Gwendolyn sitting behind him on his right. She was at the top on the very peak of the roof where both sides met. "It's just a few more steps. It won't even hurt."

"No." He turned to the left side to see Gabriel with his arms out, trying to balance himself on the steep roof. "Deuce, no. Back away. There's no need for this."

"Don't listen to him, Deuce," Gwendolyn hissed. "It's just a bit more. You can do it."

"Stop! Gwen's feeding you lies! Don't believe her. This isn't okay. Step back."

"Shut up, Gabriel. You think what you're doing is so holy and saintly, but you're really just thinking of yourself at this point. Think about it, Deuce. Think about how many people pushed you around, knocked you down. And when you were on the floor begging for help and mercy, they laughed and stomped on your fingers. Think about how nice it would be to not have to go through that again."

Deuce took a step forward.

"NO!" Gabriel took a step closer to his half brother. "Think about all the people that love you! Imagine how hurt they'd be if they knew you did this to yourself."

"Oh, really?" Gwendolyn stood up and crossed her arms. "Name someone. Anyone."

"His cousins!"

"Who left. Who yelled in his face before they departed."

"That was only Lamia."

"But I didn't see Seth try to step in. And where is Viperine? You certainly need her right now. Come to think of it, where are any of them when you need them most?"

"Well, what about your aunts Stheno and Euryale?"

"Who live on the other side of the world? Fat chance of them helping."

"Aunt Monique took a liking to you."

"She would never do anything to hurt her precious brother. She's a Jayne. A snake. That's what they do."

"Caleen."

"Who never sees him? Who gets sick if she's indoors for more than forty minutes? She can't help. She never did."

"That's not true. She was the one to bring him food and water when he went to the foster home. The one that locked him outside with a chain."

"Like a f*cking dog." Gwendolyn stepped closer to Deuce, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "That's what you are to the world, Deuce. You're a dog. Nothing but a dirty, filthy mutt. A scrappy, homeless, walking skeleton who begs for what you want in this world. We all are. Every one of Dad's children. We're outcasts, pushed away by both worlds and never going to truly belong anywhere. Why would you want that? Why would you go through that willingly?"

"Deuce, don't listen to her." Gabriel took a few wobbly steps towards the gorgon. "You don't have to do this. There's another way."

"Face it. There isn't. Deuce, we all know that in two days, Dad is going to kill you. And if you don't get out now, you'll never leave."

"Deuce, please listen. You can run away. You can last a week. You've lasted months. You just have to hold out until that court date."

"You won't," Gwendolyn said. "You won't make it. The world hates you! Loathes you! Despises you with everything in it!" She raised her arms in the air, and it was only then that Deuce noticed it had stopped raining. "And if you don't see that now, it's going to tear you apart!" She lowered her arms, panting heavily. "You need to get out while you still can. You haven't lost yet. And you don't have to. Show them who the victor is."

Deuce took another step. His toes hung off the edge. Even the smallest nudge would send him falling.

"That's it, Deuce. Just one. More. Step."

"Stop!" Gabriel screamed. "Think of everyone you'd hurt!"

"Deuce, they don't care! They never cared!" Gwendolyn screeched. "JUST JUMP!"

"NO!" Gabriel yelled. "MADISON! TELL HIM!"

Deuce turned around to see his sister standing a few feet behind him. Her pale figure, more transparent than the other two, sighed. Her green snakes were silent, and her emerald eyes were cast downward.

"I'm not going to tell you what to do, Baby," Madison said. "If you do this, you'll hurt everyone who loves you. But if you don't, you'll be the one that's hurt. And while I can't make that decision for you, I know you'll make the right choice. You always do." Madison put a cold hand on Deuce's cheek before disappearing, leaving him alone with the angel on one side and the devil on the other.

"They don't care. Lamia said it herself," Gwendolyn said after Madison left. "If they cared, they'd be here with you. Show them. Show them all. Hell, do a flip. Take it from Iris; this is the easy way out." Deuce closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "One step. Then you'd be safe. Forever."

Just as he felt himself leaning forward, he heard Gabriel scream.

"Medusa!" Gabriel cried. Tears streamed down his face. "You're her last child. Pegasus and Chrysaor are gone; they have their own families now. And Madison and Ianthe are dead. It would kill her if her last baby died too."

Deuce opened his eyes. He looked down at the road and the cars and the people. He saw the stars and the moon and the sky. He dropped his head, feeling tears run from the corners of his eyes to his nose, dripping off the tip.

"I can't do it," he said. He took a step back.

"Yes, you can, Deuce!" Gwendolyn coaxed Deuce further. "She'll move on. She'll know you didn't want to be in pain anymore. It's okay. Just jump."

"No." He blinked away tears. "I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this for Mom." With that, he stepped down. He climbed off the roof and slowly walked down the stairs. He got to the ground and fell to his knees. He buried his face in his palms and cried at the thought of what he had almost done.

Cleo wiped away her own tears as she left the memory. She entered the door directly on the corner. The memory began in fourteen-year-old Deuce's bedroom. He laid on his stomach on the bed as he finished up a project. It was the fourth copy, as he always made extra copies just in case one got destroyed, lost, or bloody. He copied the words from one page to another. He froze as he heard footprints. He looked towards the window, which he remembered was bolted shut and covered in wood planks by his father, who'd taken drastic measures to make sure his son didn't leave.

As Mark pushed the door open, Deuce's eyes widened in shock. His father was completely sober, a surprise albeit not a pleasant one. He walked to the bed as Deuce sat up. He grabbed the papers his son had been working on and ripped them in half, then put one half behind the other, ripped the papers into quarters, and kept tearing the pages. When he finished, he dropped the papers to the floor before grabbing Deuce by the snakes on his head and yanking him down the hall and to the stairs. He shoved Deuce down the stairs, causing the monster to fall and land on his back painfully. Mark hurried down the stairs and kicked his son's sides. Deuce screamed in pain, and Cleo squeezed her eyes shut and covered her mouth with her hand. He grabbed a titanium golf club and used that to crack his son's ribs. Over and over. Deuce's ribs were broken by the time Mark dragged Deuce to the living room. Mark tied the fourteen-year-old to the leg of the couch using rope that was hidden under the sofa before leaving him unattended as he went into the kitchen. Deuce clawed at the rope, trying to loosen it.

Mark returned with a kitchen knife the size of his forearm. Deuce's eyes widened in terror as Mark cut thin lines, some larger and deeper than others, into Deuce's limbs. After about forty on each limb were made, Mark sliced Deuce's shirt through the middle, grazing his son's stomach. He ripped his shirt apart and cut dozens of deep cuts into the monster's stomach. Deuce screamed and writhed around, still desperately trying to escape the rope's hold on him. Mark stopped cutting his torso and moved upwards to his face, slicing deep marks into Deuce's forehead and cheeks. Deuce screamed. He knew that screaming would result in a larger, more painful punishment- it always did. But he also knew there was no making it out alive anyway, so maybe if someone found him first...

"Please," Deuce panted. "Stop." Mark pushed the knife into the skin just above his son's jaw.

"Give me a good reason why."

"You...you have no one else to release anger on if you kill me."

"Maybe," Mark said. He pressed the knife in deeper. "But I get you out of my hair."

Marisa, who was in the kitchen boiling water while watching the scene unfold, came to her husband and stepson. She held the pot of water. "Where do want it?"

"Chest," Mark answered. Marisa complied and dumped the scalding on water on Deuce's chest and mid-torso. He shrieked, feeling the skin blister and bubble up. It felt like fire rushing over him, and he screamed. Mark yanked off his belt as whipped Deuce with the metal buckle. With each snap, gashes sliced deeper and deeper into his skin. After thirty minutes, he stopped belting his son, slipping the leather strip back on his waist. He yanked Deuce up to wall and slapped him, kneed him in the stomach, and punched him. Marisa sank her teeth into her stepson's limbs and torso. Deuce screamed in pain as Mark grabbed the knife again. After what felt like hours of being carved into, Mark stopped. He threw down the knife, and it landed dreadfully close to Deuce. "I think that's enough." He turned to his wife. "Marisa?" He was met with a scoff. Mark squatted down to meet Deuce's gaze, his son's hidden while his was cold, hard, and icy. "You want a break, faggot?"

Deuce panted miserably, unable to say a word. Mark kicked Deuce's ribs, causing him to squeal.

"Coward."

"Mark," Marisa said. She stood beside him, pushing her body up against him ever so slightly. "Are you planning anything in particular for him?"

"Just gonna see how much he can take." He grabbed Deuce's chin and squeezed it, shaking his son's head forcefully. "He's going to give out. I just want to see how long it takes. An hour? Ten? Let's see." He dropped his chin before grabbing him and tossing him over his shoulder. Deuce yelled in his ear but couldn't do much more than that. It hurt to move, and there was no point in fighting back.

Mark carried Deuce outside before dropping him in the middle of the street. Deuce screamed in pain. The late February air made the tar cool, which felt magnificent against his burning wounds, but the force of being dropped was indescribably excruciating. He watched as his father walked off to the side of the house before picking up a cinderblock. He carried it inside the house and shut the door.

Deuce could do nothing but lay in the street, letting the cold air eat up at him and slowly bring his cold-blooded body to a temperature much colder than ideal. He was cold-blooded, a trait that didn't work to his advantage in the winter. After the first fifteen seconds of the cold feeling fantastic, it soon ate into his skin like a disease. He let the tears run down his cheeks, the salt burning his wounds and making him cry harder. He could only cry and convulse. After what felt like hours, a white van with a Monster National News logo printed on the side drove onto the street. The driver spotted Deuce and parked the van. A news reporter rushed out with a cameraman, the camera instantly focusing on the scene.

"Hi, I'm Dane Drawart," the news reporter said. "I'm on Old Flower Road where a...fifteen-year-old boy is lying in the middle of the street! By the way he looks, he's been tortured by someone. More news on this after the commercial." The cameraman stops recording.

"Very subtle and very broad," the cameraman said. "Just what gets their attention. I like it."

Deuce grabbed the news reporter's leg. He shrieked and kicked Deuce off him as if he were an insect or a disease. "Please..." Deuce panted, his breaths strenuous, "please help me."

"Sorry, kid," the news reporter said. He backed away from the boy laying in the middle of the road. "We're in charge of providing the news, not providing rides to the hospital." He and the cameraman quickly rushed back into the van and drove off as quickly as they could, as to avoid being blamed for the monster's wounds. Deuce leaned back and squeezed his eyes shut, another chance of getting help gone. He wanted to lay there and cry forever. But he was soon interrupted.

"What did you tell them?" Deuce opened his wet eyes to see Mark standing over him, glaring at him,

"N-nothing."

"Bullsh*t." Mark spit on his son's cheek. "Get up, faggot." He hauled him up onto his shoulder before going back inside. Marisa locked the door and closed the blinds just before Mark threw his son on the hardwood floors. Deuce wailed. "Aw..." Mark said sarcastically, "did that hurt?" He stomped on Deuce's stomach before kneeling down to pick up the dropped kitchen knife. He used it to tear the monster's skin. Marisa cut open pieces of copper wire as he did this, testing out an "experiment" of hers.

When she finished, Mark stopped cutting lines into his son. The two embedded the wire deep into Deuce's skin, causing Deuce to thrash and screech once more. After the wire was inserted into his skin, Deuce was thrown up against the wall of the living room, and Mark choked him. "Is this hurting you?" He asked sarcastically. Deuce couldn't answer as he turned purple in his face. "How about this?" Mark choked him harder, and Deuce brought his hands up to scratch at his father. Mark laughed and let go of his son, causing Deuce to fall on the floor and crack his head on the sofa's leg. He picked his son back up and threw him on the floor once more. He beat him until he bled profusely from many areas. Most of his ribs were broken. Deuce screeched loudly in agony.

"Riss, bat?" Marisa nodded, hurrying to the garage. She returned seconds later with a wooden baseball bat and handed it to Mark. With all his strength, he knocked all the breath out of Deuce's lungs. The heavy wood crashed against his bones. Deuce heard snapping, but as pain raced through his veins, he couldn't tell what was breaking. Once Mark grew bored with the bat, he headed to the kitchen to get a Bud Lite. Instead of drinking it, he smashed the bottle against Deuce's skull, causing the bottom of the bottle to break and the boy to scream as the shards of glass puncture his head. Blood trailed down his face, streaking it in crimson.

"Mmm..." Marisa said, smirking to herself, "waste of good beer that child of yours is, Mark."

"Not when you can do this." He proceeded to cut deep gashes into Deuce's skin multiple times.

"Please...please stop..." Deuce's voice was hoarse, weak, and tired. But determined.

Mark scoffed but let go of him. "Pathetic." Deuce shakily stood up like a newborn calf for the first time. The second he was on his feet, Mark slapped Deuce, and he plummeted to the ground. Mark laughed and kicked the monster's sides. Marisa retrieved the fallen knife and began to skin her stepson's snakes, which hissed and snapped in pain.

Suddenly, the stairs creaked. Deuce perked up, unaware to his father and stepmother. He saw a flash of gold run towards the group, and his heart automatically dropped. _There's two people with gold in their hair: Nefera and Cleo...oh, sh*t,_ He thought. _Nefera will use it against me for sure, and Cleo will have to witness this. Gods, let me be hallucinating..._

The floor creaked near the couch, this time catching the attention of Deuce's parents. Both stopped paying attention to Deuce to look at the couch. Mark knitted his eyebrows angrily and walked towards the sofa. Deuce's heart raced as he, without thinking, grabbed Mark's leg and pulled it, causing Mark to trip and topple over. Mark looked over at his son, and seeing the fire in his father's eyes, Deuce regretted the move headed back towards him before grabbing his son's hand and breaking it immediately with a snap. Deuce screamed in pain. Mark knelt down and began undoing Deuce's pants. Deuce attempted to kick and scratch him, all the while thrashing and trying to get away and make him stop. He failed though, and Cleo covered her mouth and closed her eyes in shock and sadness as Mark had his way with him. Mark held his wrists, pinning Deuce's arms above him tightly. The older man bit Deuce's collarbone to muffle the noise. Deuce cried, small groans and hiccups escaping his throat. Mark gripped his son's hips tighter, his nails digging into the skin. Semen mixed with blood dried onto the gorgon's thighs, and Deuce's face grew red with shame.

When Mark finished, he stabbed Deuce's right thigh with the same kitchen knife from before. Deuce screamed, and Mark tore his son's shirt into shreds before taking it off him. He stabbed through his belly, and Deuce cried out in pain.

 _He's going to kill me!_ Deuce cried. _He's actually going to kill me!_

Mark tore into Deuce's torso, digging around until all his organs were exposed. Deuce screamed miserably in agony as Mark broke each of Deuce's ribs and cut into his internal organs, such as his stomach, liver, and intestines. Right at that moment, police sirens were heard. Deuce's eyes widened in horror, but he still panted and screamed. Marisa looked at Mark with a worried expression as Mark glared at Deuce with an irate expression. Marisa quickly grabbed a throw pillow on the couch and shoved it up against her stepson's mouth, muffling his screams.

"What do we do?!" Marisa whispered as she panicked. Mark didn't answer her, and he instead chose to continue beating his son until he could barely move. Tears flowed from the boys eyes. Someone banged on the door forcefully.

"OPEN UP OR WE'LL KNOCK IT DOWN!" The voice was deep, masculine, and obviously belonging to an officer. Deuce's heart sped up to the point where it was painful. Although help was here, Deuce knew Mark would kill to keep the secret. And that's what he was planning on doing.

 _Kill me now. Just kill me now. Please, oh please, oh gods, just don't let it be any more painful than this and let it be quick!_

It didn't take long for the police to knock down the door. Six police officers ran into the living room. Mark grabbed the cinderblock that he carried into the house from earlier. He walked up to his son.

"Drop it now!" The officer shouted. Mark grinned.

"Gladly." With that, he let go of the cinderblock. It fell to Deuce's stomach. Deuce screamed. The pain was excruciating. He could see his world going black and red. Mark picked up the block of cement as he kicked the boy, making Deuce flip over onto his stomach. Mark dropped the block onto his back, specifically his spine. One of the officers shot at Mark's foot, but Mark jumped, and the bullet hit Deuce's thigh. He screeched as Mark lifted the cinderblock one last time, dropping it on Deuce's skull, giving him a concussion. All the officers charged at Mark, and two grabbed Marisa on the way there. Three grabbed Mark, but he tried to wrestle his way out of their grasp. Two doctors rushed into the living room and knelt next to Deuce. A younger Cleo came out from behind the sofa and headed towards the doctors and Deuce. She sat down and put Deuce's head on her thighs. She played with his snakes, even though his blood covered her hands. One doctor put two fingers on Deuce's wrist, followed by his neck and waist.

"I can barely feel a pulse," she said. Another doctor inserted a needle with a blue liquid into Deuce's wrist. Deuce gasped immediately and started coughing, painfully so. As he coughed, blood came out.

"It's okay," the younger Cleo said to Deuce as she stroked his worn out, bloody snakes, which were much more sensitive after having been partially skinned.

Suddenly, fifteen-year-old Viperine raced through the door but was blocked by cops.

"No entries allowed," a cop told her.

"Yeah, heh heh. Beat it!"

"I'm his cousin!" Viperine shouted, panic outriding all other emotions.

The police quickly took note of the snakes that were snapping and hissing with panic. "Oh, um, right this way."

The cops moved out of the way, and the younger Cleo saw Viperine, so she darted out of the house. Viperine ran towards her cousin and knelt down on his right side.

"Oh...oh, ghoul! Are you okay?" Viperine asked gently.

"Vi..." Deuce answered hoarsely between pants and coughing fits.

"Okay, um...how many fingers am I holding up?" She held up three fingers, but Deuce's vision doubled.

"Six. No, five. Wait...six."

Two doctors lifted Deuce up onto the stretcher. He screamed in agony during the process. They wheeled him out with Viperine following him behind like a lost puppy.

Upon leaving the house, the younger Cleo saw many families crowded around the house surrounded by cop cars and an ambulance. Mark, who was putting up a fight, was being shoved into a cop car, but Marisa, who didn't fight the cops, was already in another. A news crew showed up as Deuce was lifted into the ambulance, and the doctors and Viperine followed and shut the door. The police cars took Mark and Marisa to jail as the ambulance took Deuce to the hospital. He laid on the stretcher with his eyes closed and his teeth gritted. He groaned in pain.

"It's only about ten to fifteen minutes," Viperine said. She grabbed his right hand. "Just...hold on."

"I can't that long," Deuce admitted.

"Please try."

They sat in silence for a moment, as doctors were working on Deuce, who was groaning and writhing in pain. Viperine kept a strong grip on his hand.

"Only about six more minutes."

"Champagne, I can't wait that long..."

"Please try."

Deuce sighed. "...There's no point."

"Why not?"

"Think about it! Everywhere I go, there's always someone who wants me dead. Why not just let them have their way?"

"Think of the people you'd be hurting..."

"Think of the people I'd be helping. The ratio of the hurt to the helped has a pretty dramatic difference...I wonder how they'd react to my death..." Deuce trailed off in thought.

"Don't say that! You _are_ going to make it."

"No, I'm not," Deuce said. Tears streamed down his face. "No matter how hard I try. I can't hold on. Please...I'm not going to win the battle this time. Let me give in."

"Please..." Viperine begged, tears stinging her eyes.

"I'm not doing this anymore. I'm so _tired_ , Viperine." He closed his eyes, and she immediately squeezed his hand. She rubbed her thumb on his fingernail. He opened his eyes, but not fully. "Thank you for being here." He squeezed her hand. "I didn't want to die alone."

"Stop saying that!" Viperine said. Tears streamed down her face. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

"You won't forget me...will you?" Deuce panted. His eyes looked so innocent, even with all he went through. It made Viperine's heart ache.

"Of course not. It'd be impossible."

"You know I love all of you, right?" Viperine nodded, and Deuce smiled weakly. His heavy breathing became slower, calmer, and steadier. He relaxed as he felt himself finally come to peace with all he went though. With his last breath, he whispered, "I'm finally going home."

His eyelids became heavy as he closed his eyes for the last time. His body became limp. The cardiograph flatlined, and Viperine began to cry. The doctors rushed towards his corpse and tried to revive him. Viperine, who continued to sob, grabbed Deuce's hand, which became colder with each growing second. Cleo put her hand on her face and cried with her. Suddenly, the memory went completely black. Pitch black. Cleo jumped in fright, and the scene began rewinding like an old tape. The colors faded to an old sepia, and soon, the scene stopped rewinding. Everything was frozen in time except Cleo. The colors returned to the scene, and it began playing again. However, this time, two new figures appeared at the scene. They were slightly translucent. The figure on the left had green mambas tied into two pigtails. She had emerald green eyes with snake slit pupils. Her chest had a bloody, gaping hole, and she was wearing a dress with a red corset and black skirt. Her lips were dark raspberry. The figure to the first's right had the same face sculpture and green mambas; however, hers were let loose onto her shoulders. She had the same dark lips and emerald eyes. However, she had no hole in her chest, and her dress had a blue corset and black skirt. Both figures sat on Deuce's left.

"I'm telling you," the one on the right said, "it's going to end the same way."

"Oh, come on, Violet. Trust me. I know he'll break. And we need to be there for it."

"Well, that sounds a little _violent,_ " the second one- Violet- said. "We need to be there to watch him _break_ and _fail_ and _die_!"

"He'll be confused when he passes. We _all_ were. Thankfully, I had you. The least we can do is be here for him. He needs it."

"Alright...but don't get your hopes up. He's a strong one. He's been through a lot, but he's still somehow holding on."

"Of course, my love." They waited patiently before the one dubbed "Violet" began shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"...I still don't know about this..."

"Here he comes!"

With that, Deuce's eyelids became heavy as he closed his eyes for the last time. His body became limp. The cardiograph flatlined, and Viperine began to cry. The doctors rushed towards his corpse and tried to revive him. The scene faded darker, almost black. Deuce opened his eyes and saw himself in a kitchen, but the cabinets and appliances were in rows, resembling hallways. Deuce grabbed a pan and placed it on the counter, opened a cabinet, and reached for flour. He, himself, didn't know what he was making, but he felt his body moving on its own, as if it knew. He put the bag on the counter and shut the cabinet door. But standing behind the door was Mark.

"Miss me?" He pushed Deuce onto the cabinet, and Deuce cracked his head on the granite. His snakes hissed in pain and anger at Mark, who grabbed a rolling pin off the floor. He lifted it above his head and quickly brought it down on his son's head. Deuce fell to the ground. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. Then, he tucked his head into his knees. Mark continued to use the rolling pin as a weapon upon his son. Suddenly, Deuce sensed his father had disappeared. Deuce shakily stood up. The cabinets, appliances, and counters had disappeared, and in their place were three, withering women. Their hair was thin and wispy. The one in the middle held an eyeball with a gray iris. None of them had eyes in their sockets. The tallest one had a single tooth, while the others were toothless. Suddenly, a hand ripped the eye from the woman's. The three woman shrieked and attempted to claw out the face of someone behind Deuce. Deuce turned around and saw a man with brown, wavy hair and hazel eyes. He raised his arm, so the eye was out of the women's grasp. He smirked evilly.

 _Perseus..._ Deuce furrowed his eyebrows in anger as the women gave into whatever Perseus said. "Deino!" He yelled. The women refuse to look. "Pemphredo! Enyo!" Still, the Graeae didn't look at Deuce. He turned away and walked towards the sea. He sat on the sand and ran his fingertips through the grains. He heard music in the distance, and he stood up and walked towards it. Deuce continued to head towards the music until he saw a young woman on the beach. She had blonde hair and green eyes with yellow flecks. She had a harp with her, and she played it perfectly. Deuce noticed her fingers had small bandages around them, covering from the knuckles of her fingers up, but leaving the tips open. Her fingertips were bloody from playing her instrument relentlessly. She continued to play her harp as she looked up at Deuce.

"You need to run," Aikaterine said, still playing the harp.

"No," Deuce said. "I'm staying here."

"It's not safe. They're looking for you, Medusesus."

"They can't." Deuce shook his head. "This isn't real."

"That's what they want you to think," Aikaterine said. "It is real- to you."

"What?"

"Swim," she said. "Swim far away from here."

"Why? Who's looking for me?"

"No time to answer questions. Just go."

"There are sirens in there." Deuce pointed to the sea while continuing to look at the blonde woman. "They'll kill me."

"Silly boy. You're already dead."

Deuce's eyes widened.

"No...no, I'm not. I-It's not real."

Aikaterine looked completely serious as she said, "Look in the sea." Deuce shakily walked towards the sea. He knelt in the sand and bent over the water. His reflection was pale, bloodied, and bruised. Deuce looked down at his hands. They were broken and covered in blood. He looked back at Aikaterine. "Go."

Deuce nodded and jumped in the sea. He took off swimming towards the sun. The waves pushed against him, but he overcame them all. He continued to swim until he could not see Aikaterine anymore. Suddenly, he felt something grip his ankle. Deuce tried to kick and swim away, but it was too strong. It pulled him down underneath the waves. His lungs began to fill with water as he was dragged down further and further. Finally, Deuce kicked off the invisible creature. He quickly tried to swim to the top. He pushed his way through the liquid and came up above the waves with his eyes closed. He opened his eyes and saw that he was no longer in the Mediterranean, but he was now in an ocean of blood. Deuce clutched his stomach and felt his blood rushing out of his throat, pouring out of him and adding to the body of blood...which symbolized the amount of blood he'd lost in the accident. His breathing staggered, and he tried to swim, but he had no more energy left. Something grabbed at his ankle again and pulled him down under the water. This time, he couldn't get back up. He let it take him away.

"Hey...hey, Baby wake up." Deuce stirred, his eyes closed. "Are you okay? Hurting anywhere?"

"No...who...?" Deuce opened his eyes. In front of him was a girl with olive skin, emerald snake eyes, raspberry lips, and green snakes on her head. She stroked Deuce's snakes. He sat upright quickly.

"Whoa! Calm down! It's okay. No one is going to hurt you. What's wrong?"

"Where...where?" Madison smiled at her brother.

"Welcome home." Madison hugged Deuce, who cried and buried his face in her shoulder.

"W-where am I? What happened? Who's with you?"

"Okay! Okay! Slow down. I get it. You're nervous. I'll start with the first question. We call this place different things. 'Parte Altera.' 'Latum Alterum.' 'In Alia Parte.' They're all roughly the same. It means 'The Other Side' in Latin," Madison clarified.

"Okay..."

"What happened? You died."

"But...the blood and the people..." Deuce felt his curiosity swarm like bees. He had so many questions. "That felt so real."

"Baby, it's just what happens when your soul leaves your body. Your brain goes haywire, and you see images and feel surroundings that aren't there."

"Well, who's that?" Deuce pointed towards the other girl- Violet.

"Me?" She asked. "Oh, I'm Ianthe."

Deuce paled at the name. "Violet." Ianthe hugged Deuce.

"I've been waiting to meet you for a very long time." She let go of her brother. "Come on! Everyone wants to see you!"

"Everyone?" Deuce asked, feeling more hopeful than ever.

"Good to know you can still hear," Madison joked. "Let's go."

Cleo's phone paused the recording, and Frankie's caller ID came on the screen. Cleo left the memory before answering the phone.

"Cleo speaking."

"Cleo!" Frankie exclaimed. "Where are you?"

"Um...at an early memory," she lied.

"Well, we've found a memory for everyone. We're all ready to see Maddie's last memory."

"Oh, uh...I'll...come to you," Cleo said, trying to disguise the fact that she wasn't actually in Madison's memories. If they went to Deuce's memories, they'd want to look through them, and she didn't know how Deuce would feel about that. "Where are you?"

"We're heading into the hallway right now."

"Alright, let me finish up this memory, and I'll meet you there."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." Cleo ended the call before going to the first memory on the new hallway. She poked her head in. It began in a hospital's morgue in the middle of the night. Fourteen-year-old Deuce laid in one of the lockers. He had bruising all over his body, not to mention, blood. Both legs and arms were broken. His torso was slashed open, leaving a large, gaping hole. He had a punctured lung and copper wires in his arms. He had two black eyes and many other bruises and welts. His lips were parted slightly. He didn't breathe. Didn't move. Just laid in silence.

Suddenly, he awoke. The first second he was confused. The metal lockers were cold, dark, and tight, and it was impossible to see where he was. The second after the first, all the pain kicked in at once. He screeched and thrashed, agonizing and excruciating pain running through his veins. It hurt to move, but he did so anyway as best as he could.

It wasn't long before he got a nurse's attention. She rushed in with three other doctors. With shaking hands, she unlocked the locker door and pulled the screaming teen out. Two doctors held him down as another gave him anesthesia. They put the gas mask on him, and he calmed instantly, giving out.

"What happened?" One of the doctors said. "He shouldn't be alive if he's in a morgue!"

"This is the one who was supposed to get an autopsy this morning," another doctor said. "And by the looks of him, he shouldn't be up. It's impossible."

"Either way," the last doctor said, "he probably won't make it through the night." She turned to the nurse. "Call whoever is in the system. They can come even though visiting hours are over." The nurse nodded before hurrying off. "And get a room ready!"

As the doctors discussed matters, Cleo walked to the bed slowly. She knelt beside Deuce and held his right hand. It felt frail, like it was made of paper and would crumble in her palm at any second. She kissed his forehead before leaving the memory and hurrying down Deuce's hallway of memories. She returned to Madison's door and entered her hallway. She walked down the corridor and saw the others waiting for her.

"We've found everyone in her memories," Lamia said to Cleo. She swayed from one foot to the other uncomfortably, and her snakes hissed loudly. "There's only one last memory to see."

"You guys ready? Frankie asked slowly.

"Yeah." Clawdeen nodded.

"I is ready to see this scene."

"Course, mate."

Everyone walked down the hall until they reached the end. There was one last door. With shaky hands, Deuce opened it and let everyone inside. The second he stepped in, he froze.

"I don't wanna be here."

"Deuce..." Seth looked at Deuce with sympathy.

"I...I can't see that again. I just can't." His breathing became heavier.

"Well, this memory, you _have_ to be here," Lamia said. "You can't just wait in the halls."

Thirteen-year-old Deuce and Madison walked to the cemetery to the row of their siblings. Their sister. Half brothers. Half sisters. Stepsisters. Everyone was there, waiting for them. Madison brushed the weeping willow's fallen leaves off Ianthe's headstone.

"Hey, Violet," she whispered. "How have you been? We've been super busy, so we couldn't see you often." Violets grew out of the ground. Their magnificent, purple petals opened and welcomed the siblings. Madison smiled and reached down to stroke one of the flower's petals.

"We've been gone for a month," Deuce said, "and Dad keeps trying to give us back everything we owe or whatever." He knelt down next to the headstone. "It's tiring."

"Tiring's not the best word," Madison said. "More like completely draining."

"You would've liked it though," Deuce said. "Music Festival was...awesome to say the least."

"Definitely worth it," Madison said, grinning.

The two heard footsteps crunching through the grass and whipped around to see Mark trudging towards them. Madison's smile faltered.

"When the f*ck did I ever say you could come here?" The triplets kept silent. "Answer me, godd*mmit!"

"You've never had a problem with it before," Deuce said. Mark grabbed Deuce by his snakes and pushed him forward, cracking his skull into Ianthe's headstone. Blood poured from the gash on Deuce's forehead as Mark let go of him. Madison took out a knife and aimed it towards Mark, who lunged at her. Deuce tried fighting him off, but Mark's attention went from his daughter to his son. He threw a punch at Deuce, and Madison tried to get Mark off of her brother, only to be kicked backwards. She staggered, and Mark focused on Madison. Deuce took the chance to punch Mark and wriggled out of his grasp. Suddenly, Mark locked Deuce in a chokehold, holding him to the ground by his neck, and he gripped Madison tightly by her wrist.

"The school's wondering where you're getting all those marks from," Mark said simply. Too calmly. As if nothing happened. "Maybe you should sell it a bit better."

"Maybe you should just _stop f*cking hitting us,_ " Madison retorted. Her eyes widened, and she instantly regretted the words.

Mark's green eyes blazed in fury as he yanked Madison by her wrist away from the row of headstones. He dragged her a few feet before letting go. She and Deuce stood together in front of a headstone shaped as a cross. Mark picked Madison's knife up off the ground. Before she had time to react, he stabbed it directly into her heart. She let out a cry of agony. She felt her knees buckle, her legs turn to jelly. Mark yanked the knife out of her chest and shoved her backwards, and she landed on the cross-shaped headstone. It impaled her, stabbing through her back and going through her torso, luckily not coming out the front side. She let out another scream. Mark dropped the bloody knife to the grass. "You have five minutes." He walked away without speaking another word or looking back.

Deuce carefully lifted his sister off the headstone and gently placed her on the ground in front of Ianthe's headstone while continuing to hold her in his arms. Madison struggled to breathe, each breath more labored than the last. Tears streamed down both of their faces, and Madison reached up to touch the cut across Deuce's forehead. She smeared the blood with her thumb, but her energy diminished quickly, and she had no choice but to put her arm down.

"Well," she gasped, "I guess this is it. This is goodbye. This is how I'll die."

"Please don't leave me," Deuce whispered. His tears fell onto her cheeks.

"You can do it, Baby. It'll be okay." They stayed silent for a few seconds before Madison spoke again. "Deuce?"

"Yeah?"

"Stay with me. Can you keep me safe tonight? Just one. More. Night."

"I'd protect you from the world if I could." Madison smiled weakly. It was tight and full of pity, and she grabbed his hand.

"Can you sing to me? I want to hear you sing one last time."

Deuce nodded. "Which song?"

She didn't hesitate or take the time to think about which she wanted. "Cobwebs." Deuce nodded. He took a deep breath before beginning.

"How many years have passed me by..." He exhaled as he felt his throat close up. "Since I've stopped to take a look at all the changes in my life? So many friends have come and gone, but all those summer nights still burn inside my lungs. I hope you will not forget this either. Forever.

"And I bet I'm not the only one who thinks I'm stuck in the past with all the friends I am losing. I regret not holding on to it closely. The past is the past, and I'm letting it kill me." He cried harder, and his voice cracked as he sang. Yet, Madison still smiled. "If I just had one wish, I'll tell you what it'd be. I'd bring back all the bands inside the dome and one last time we'd have a f*cking show." He stopped singing momentarily to take a deep breath.

"Life is what you make it, what you make it, and I believe in this. What happened to the familiar faces that I've come to miss? And I bet I'm not the only one who thinks I'm stuck in the past with all the friends I am losing. I regret not holding on to it closely. The past is the past, and I'm letting it kill me." He stopped again before continuing. More and more tears ran down his face, and his throat closed tighter and tighter, so much so that it became hard to sing. Yet, he persevered to see his sister smile. "This sinking ship can't hold much water! How much longer? How much longer? Until these lights are dead and gone. I will scatter the ashes of what's left of this place that I call home. And I will scatter the ashes of this former life, this place that I call home. And fight this fatal attraction. Just to sit inside and hang my head too low. Living in shadows of scars. The past defines just who we are.

"And I bet I'm not the only one who thinks I'm stuck in the past with all the friends I am losing. I regret not holding on it closely. The past is the past, and I'm letting it kill me. The past lives."

Madison smiled and squeezed her brother's hand. "Thank you." They sat in silence, Deuce letting his tears fall into the grass and Madison taking slower, more shallow breaths. "I wonder if people will care if I'm gone. Maybe they'll hate themselves for the rest of their lives. Maybe they'll throw a party and cheer and spit on my grave. I don't know."

"Mockingbird, you know I love you, right?" Deuce interrupted.

"Of course, Baby."

"Mom, our cousins, and aunts too?

"Yes."

Deuce cried harder, his hands shaking violently. Madison squeezed his hand in hers. "I don't want you to die."

"I don't want to die either," Madison admitted. "I didn't choose this fate. I've always wanted to just be done with all this, but now... I'm barely thirteen. I've got my whole life ahead of me. Now, it's just going to be taken away. I don't want to die now. I'm too young. I'm not ready." Tears ran down her face as she took a deep breath. "But you've got to stay strong. For me, Baby. Just hold on."

She closed her eyes, resting further into Deuce's arms. "I'm going to put myself to sleep now for a bit longer than usual."

"Mockingbird..."

"I see her," Madison interrupted.

"See who?"

"Ianthe. She's sitting next to you."

Deuce suddenly felt a pair of cold arms wrap around him gently in a hug. He felt her cool breath as she whispered into his ear. "She'll be in good hands with me forever."

"They're all waiting for me," Madison said. She didn't look at Deuce. Instead, she was looking through him. "Gwendolyn, Gabriel, Kira, Jason, Iris, Evangeline, Ianthe, Ashton, Roxie, and Lacie." Deuce yelled as he cried, his hands convulsing as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to get rid of his tears. "Shh...it'll be okay.

"I just don't want to see you go," Deuce said.

"Please, darling, don't be scared," she panted. "I want you to bleed with me." She closed her eyes and squeezed them, tears dripping down. She opened the again, and it was only then that Deuce saw how watery they were. The emeralds glistened brighter than all the jewels in the world. "I'm sorry. I'll see you on the other side." Madison weakened. Her blood soaked her clothes as well as her brother's. Her breath was short and staggered. Her eyelids fluttered. With everything in her, she muttered one last thing. "Stay strong...because no one else will."

With that, she closed her eyes. Deuce felt her go limp in his arms as her heart and breathing quelled. Deuce sobbed, and Cleo laid her head on his shoulder, rubbing his back to comfort him.

"No. No, no, no, no, no!" The fourteen-year-old said quickly. "No! Please! Maddie! Maddie, wake up! Wake up! Wake up, Madison! Don't die! Don't die on me! Please! Madison...!" He closed his eyes. "I need you..." He whispered. He held her tighter and wept into her shoulder.

Suddenly, he screamed. He screamed to everyone and no one. The air, the bodies in the cemetery, the world. It was a yell of anger and sadness and heartbreak and loss and rage and burning, agonizing, blistering pain that nothing would ever soothe.

"She's mine!" He screamed. " You stay away from her! It's not her time!"

Everyone in the group cried, but Lagoona cried harder than everyone expected.

"It's not fair..." She wiped her saltwater tears. "It's not bloody fair, mate."

"Lagoona..." Frankie said.

"NO!" Lagoona screamed. "She died- they all died- because that bloody hell father!"

As if on cue, Mark returned to the duo. He yanked Deuce up by his snakes and pulled Madison by her matching ones with the other hand. He dragged them both to the trunk of his car before throwing them in. Madison's hand rested on Deuce's arm. He grabbed her motionless hand, which was soft and cold. Deuce kissed her forehead lightly and wept silently. After several minutes, the car halted. Mark opened the trunk and removed Madison's dead body before shutting the trunk, leaving Deuce inside. He threw her against the wall of a dark alley and had his way with her corpse. When he finished, he left her in the alley as he went back to the car to drag Deuce out.

As he opened the trunk door, he slapped a hand over his son's mouth. "You try to run or scream or call for help, god, help me. You will end up like this." He pointed to Madison, and Deuce nodded. With one hand, he yanked Deuce out of the car, and with the other hand, he grabbed lighter fluid. They walked back, stopping at where Maddie laid. Deuce's eyes widened as Mark poured the lighter fluid over her. He pulled matches from his pocket and lit one. The fire burned on the wooden stick, and Deuce squeezed his eyes shut and tucked his head into his left shoulder. Mark grabbed Deuce's chin and pulled it towards his sister, forcing him to look at his sister's body. "Watch."

Mark tossed the match onto Madison's body, and the flames engulfed it immediately. Deuce watched in horror and raised his hand to his mouth, silently letting tears fall down his cheeks.

Deuce buried his face into Cleo's hair, sobbing harder. Lagoona covered her eyes, as did Draculaura.

"I...I can't do it," Lagonna whispered. "I can't do this. It's too much."

"This is so wrong," Clawd mumbled.

"Oh god," Seth said. "That could've stayed out of my mind."

"I am so sorry, Deuce," Draculaura said, wiping her eyes.

"What happened the days after this?" Jackson asked Deuce softly.

"Dad left her here," Deuce answered. "Cops came to the house a day or two after, asking me to identify a body. They drove me to the police station, and it was her. I brought her home and laid her on the bed. Dad said it was weird and necrophilic- even though he raped her even though she was dead, not me. Anyway, he had me bury her. I dug her grave in the backyard. Took me four hours because it took everything inside me to cover it."

"He put his heart and soul into it," Lamia joked, trying to lighten the mood. "He gave her a bouquet of flowers and put a different kind of flowers all around her. It was insane."

"She had a real funeral about a week and a half later," Deuce continued. "She was dressed in red with roses in her hair. Caleen made a red and white bouquet. It had poppies, lilies, gladiolas, baby's breath. She was lovely." He trailed off, and the group went silent.

The smell of burning flesh surrounded the area, and they choked on the scent. Suddenly, there was a blinding light, and a doorway of white light appeared. They stared, no one moving an inch. Finally, Lamia gave up. She headed towards the door.

"Stop dragging your d*cks!" She shouted. "Come on! It's time to see Maddie!"

* * *

 **Hope that wasn't too much. I did my research on a few of those deaths; could you tell?** **Most are pretty obvious, but as for Evangeline, she died from food poisoning, but more specifically, Listeria (or Listeriosis).**

 **Also Yiayia is "grandmother," and Papou is "grandfather."**

 **The visions of Gwendolyn and Gabriel represented the devil and the angel on either shoulder. However, I'm not quite sure how well that was portrayed.**

 **The lines that read, "Maybe you should sell it a bit better." "Maybe you should stop hitting us," came from another story I read. It's a Riverdale fan fiction called "The Town With** **Darkness." Ten out of ten; would recommend.**

 **The following songs were used in the making of this chapter:**

 **"Lies" by Evanescence**

 **"Heart-Shaped Glasses" by Marilyn Manson**

 **"Rats" by Motionless in White**

 **"Tourniquet" by Evanescence**

 **"Cobwebs" by Motionless in White**

 **"She Never Made It To The Emergency Room" by Motionless in White**

 **"A Match Into Water" by Pierce The Veil**

 **The song used for the title is "Thnks fr th Mmrs" by Fall Out Boy.**


	8. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Welcome to the Family

* * *

 **I'm sorry about the overly long wait. I wound up adding a giant section to the chapter, which I think helps out the chapter. Readers also get more insight on OCs, which I know is helpful.**

 **I'd also like to thank anyone who stuck around this long. Anyone who favorited, followed, reviewed, or gave me ideas. You are all greatly appreciated!**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

On the other side of the doorway, it led back to the main hallway. The group saw all the siblings doing something different, not one of them paying attention to the group. Roxie laid on her stomach, making small tornadoes of dust, each about six inches tall. Iris sat beside her, changing the color of the tornadoes. Ashton, who was running, and Evangeline, who was flying, raced each other. Gwendolyn and Gabriel were in one of their arguments, while Kira read a book quietly. Jason and Lacie were betting on who was going to win Evangeline and Ashton's race. Madison and Ianthe sat together writing music. Evangeline flew ahead of Ashton.

"Ha!" She chanted. Her voice was high-pitched and cheery. Light and airy. It sounded giddy and made anyone who listened happy. "Guess who's winning, Goat Boy?" Suddenly, one of Roxie's tornadoes grew too large. Evangeline flew into it, throwing her off the track. Ashton sped ahead of her.

"Me now, Fairy Chick!" His voice had the same level of happiness, but his had added goofiness as well.

"Hey! Not fair!" Lacie said. "It's Roxie's fault."

"You're just upset 'cause I'm winning this bet!" Jason said, smirking. His voice was deep, almost to the point where it was hard to make out the words.

"Nuh uh!" Lacie taunted.

"It was an obstacle!" Ashton said as he ran. "You're supposed to avoid them!"

"So if I put an obstacle in your path..." Lacie said, "possibly...this?" She pointed at Madison's grand piano. The gorgon gave the air elemental a death glare.

"You touch my piano. I touch you. Harder." Lacie shrunk back, and Gabriel stopped bickering with Gwendolyn to glare at Madison.

"Madison!" Even in shock, Gabriel's voice was still calm and soothing.

"She's gonna hurt my baby!"

"Doesn't mean you need to make threats!"

"I'm not. I'm making promises." Ashton chuckled at Madison's comment, and Evangeline flew ahead of him.

"Sucks to be you!" She shouted.

"If that was a cheesy vampire joke," Ashton said, "it's not funny." Evangeline flew past the line, winning the race. She cheered and jumped, fluttering her ginormous, blue, indigo, and purple wings.

"Woo hoo!" She cheered. "I win! I win! Now pay up!"

"You had a bet too?" Kira asked, not looking up from her book. Her voice was monotone and calm.

"If I won, I get to decorate his horns, and he has to wear it for a week," Evangeline said. "If he won, I have to allow him to draw on my face with a marker. A permanent marker. Now, guess who gets to have pink, glittery horns!"

"Pink _and_ glittery?" Lamia said. Gwendolyn, Gabriel, Kira, Jason, Iris, Evangeline, Madison, Ianthe, Ashton, Lacie, and Roxie all looked at the group in shock. "Gods, Ashton. You're screwed." They all charged and attacked at once, going straight for Deuce. The force of them knocked him down. They all grabbed him until he couldn't breathe, some hugging him, some rubbing their fists on his head, and some just messing with him.

"Oh my gods, I've missed you!"

"Ooh, you're muscular now!"

"Awesome! Now, I can finally push you around without worrying about you collapsing."

"You still smell the same."

"Ew, what the heck, Lacie? That's weird."

"What? He does."

"You look a lot better than you did last time."

"Yeah, you were kinda scary last time. And Madison's got not one but two holes in her body. And Gwen's got one too. And only nine fingers. That says a lot."

"Leave me and my fingers alone!"

"Vivi, chill. They're cool."

"I'm just glad you're okay."

"Guys!" Gwendolyn yelled over the loud chatter. "Give him some room!" Everyone complied, backing up to let him breathe.

"Yeah!" Iris cheered. Her blue hair swung as she jumped. "He's finally dead!" The family cheered, and Deuce smiled and chuckled.

"I'm not dead," he said. The family's giddy smiles instantly changed to frowns.

"Then, get the hell off my property," Gwendolyn said seriously in a deep voice. The team gave worried looks, while the family just laughed.

"She's joking," Iris said, resting a hand on Clawdeen's shoulder.

"Okay," Jason said, changing the subject. "We promised Maddie." The siblings backed away from Deuce except for Madison. The others saw them whisper to each other, but no one knew what they were saying.

"It's strange seeing them together," Frankie said. "They look so different, but you can tell they're triplets."

"They look different because Maddie and Ianthe look like Medusa, and Deuce looks like Mark," Lamia said. "But they both have the same nose, eyes, and lips. It's weird."

"She's holding up better than I thought," Seth admitted.

"I know," Kira agreed.

"The first time, she cried," Iris said. "Not like a couple of tears. I mean like sobbing uncontrollably."

"Really?" Viperine asked.

"Well, you saw the state he was in," Gabriel pointed out.

"He was in so much pain," Gwendolyn said.

"It's scary to think two people can cause that much damage," Lacie said.

Finally, Madison backed away from her brother. She genuinely looked happier, more livelier than when they first saw her.

"I wanna see his girlfriend in person!" Iris said, clapping.

"Oh, yeah!" Evangeline said, joining Iris. Lacie followed, and the three of them circled around Cleo.

"Ooh, she thick!" Iris said. Kira slapped Iris's arm, but Iris didn't care. She continued to marvel at Cleo's curves, pointing, grinning, and nodding as she looked at the family.

"She's much prettier in person," Evangeline said, smiling. "I love the hair." She reached out to stroke the mummy's soft, raven strands.

"Yeah," Lacie agreed. She tilted her head to the left.

"Okay, you guys are being weird," Deuce told his sisters. He stood next to Cleo and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her towards him. Evangeline stuck up her nose, but she stopped.

Madison walked up to Deuce and stood in front of him, clicking her forked tongue. She lifted his sunglasses off his face and stared into his emerald snake eyes, which were identical to hers and Ianthe's. She wasn't turned to stone. "There."

Draculaura's eyes widened, and she ran up to look at Deuce's bare face. "How did you-"

"You can take them off in here," Madison interrupted. "Draculaura, you aren't afraid of blood. And Cleo, darkness for you. Jackson, haven't you wondered why you can actually listen to my music?"

"Anything that's held you down in life is taken away here," Ianthe clarified. "Well, except language barriers."

Cleo looked into his eyes second. Her own eyes widened at them. "Ra, I need jewels with that color, shine, and exact look. They're beautiful..." Deuce smiled as he gazed into Cleo's aquamarine eyes. They were the liveliest teal, and seeing her in full color for the first time was better than he'd ever imagined.

"So...you ghouls have been doing a bit of... _information_ on me," Madison said, leaning back on her piano.

Frankie wriggled uncomfortable, as she apologized. "Sorry, but-"

"It's fine." Madison shrugged. "I don't care as much as you think."

It was then that Jason noticed Frankie's bolts spark, and his eyes widened in fright. Frankie, however, took it the wrong way.

"Hi!" She said cheerfully. "I'm Frankie!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Jason said, backing up and keeping his forest green eyes on the metal. "Don't come close to me."

"Why no-"

"Frankie," Clawdeen said. "Electricity."

"Oh, right!" She sparked again in realization. Jason's eyes widened even more as he took another step back. "Sorry!"

"Cleo!" Madison all but shouted.

"What? Who?" Lamia asked. Madison walked towards Cleo. "Hold on! Wait, you're Cleo?!" Cleo nodded slowly as if she wasn't sure if Lamia seriously said something that dumb. "Huh. Wow."

"Huh, wow?" Cleo repeated. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I didn't realize you were the same Cleo that Deuce had been obsessed with for years."

Ianthe choked on the air, and Deuce's eyes widened as he glared at his cousin.

"Well, 'obsessed' probably isn't the right word," Lamia said thoughtfully.

"No, it's definitely the right word," Ashton mumbled as he tried to hide his chuckles.

"We got everyone's name except yours," Seth said quickly, trying to change the subject.

"Anyway, I have something for you," Madison said. She walked to the piano and motioned for Cleo in particular to follow. Yet, everyone else circled around the instrument. The gorgon sat down on the seat, and Cleo stood directly in the middle in front of piano, right in front of Maddie. Deuce was on Cleo's right side, and he held her hand. "I wrote you something. It's written in the view of you. I named it 'Give Unto Me.' I hope you enjoy it."

Madison's fingers danced along the black and white keys of the piano. The tone mirrored cafard and melancholia. "I've been watching you from a distance. The distance sees through your disguise. All I want from you is your hurting. I want to heal you. I want to save you from the dark." She looks up, not at Cleo but through her. "Give unto me your troubles. I'll endure your suffering. Place onto me your burden. I'll drink your deadly poison."

While still playing, Madison looked at Ianthe and put her right hand out towards her. The palm of her hand faced the floor. Madison moved her fingers in a motion similar to how one would move them while playing with a sock puppet. However, her thumb did not move. Ianthe came towards Madison and sat on the seat beside her.

"Why should I care if they hurt you?" Ianthe hummed as Madison sang, "Somehow it matters more to me than if I were hurting myself. Save you!"

"Save you!" Ianthe repeated.

"I'll save you!" Madison sang, her voice much stronger than Ianthe's timid one.

"Fear not the flame of my love's candle..." The youngest triplet sang quietly, mumbling towards the end.

"Give unto me your troubles," Madison sang.

At the same time as Madison, Ianthe sang, "Fear not the flame of my love's candle."

"I'll endure your suffering."

"Let it be the sun in your world of darkness."

"Place onto me your burden."

"Give unto me all that frightens you."

"I'll drink your deadly poison."

"I'll have your nightmares for you if you sleep soundly," Ianthe finished singing after Madison, but it still worked magnificently together.

Madison closed her eyes as her fingers intricately wove across the piano keys. The piano solo captured the attention of everyone in the room. She opened her eyes once more when she sang the lyrics. "Give unto me your troubles."

"Fear not the flame of my love's candle."

"I'll endure your suffering."

"Let it be the sun in your world of darkness."

"Place onto me your burden."

"Give unto me all that frightens you."

"I'll drink your deadly poison."

"I'll have your nightmares for you if you sleep soundly."

The piano died down as Madison sang the last few lyrics slowly, making the end sound haunted. "Fear not the flame of my love's candle. Let it be the sun in your world of darkness." The end had an eerie glow to it. When she finished, Cleo looked at the piano where sheet music was kept. There were no papers.

"H-how do you do that?!"

"Do what?" Madison questioned. "Play a piano? It's pretty simple actually."

"You play a piano with no sheet music. Your eyes are closed. _And_ you are singing! All at the same time! Isn't that hard?"

"No," Madison answered as if it meant nothing to her. "I've been playing before I could walk. Crawl even! It just comes naturally to me at this point."

"Your voices are gorgeous..." Frankie marveled. Madison smiled with closed lips.

Suddenly, Madison clapped and pointed at Deuce. "And since, Deuce, you're already here and I'm at the piano, I need to show you something." Madison stared at him as she played the piano. "Tell me if you recognize this. And don't kill me."

"Alright..." Deuce said hesitantly.

Madison continued playing the piano for a bit longer before beginning. "Stay low. Soft, dark, and dreamless. Far beneath my nightmares and loneliness. I hate me for breathing without you. I don't want to feel anymore for you." Deuce's emerald snakes eyes widened as he recognized the song. "Grieving for you. I'm not grieving for you. Nothing real love can't undo. And though I may have lost my way, all paths lead straight to you. I long to be like you. Lie cold in the ground like you.

"Halo. Blinding wall between us. Melt away and leave us alone again. The humming, haunted somewhere out there. I believe our love can see us through in death. I long to be like you. Lie cold in the ground like you. There's room inside for two, and I'm not grieving for you. I'm coming for you."

Madison stared directly at Deuce, all her attention focused on him as the accompaniment simplifying. "You're not alone. No matter what," she played on the piano with one hand as she pointed to Viperine, Lamia, and Seth, dragging an invisible line across them, " _they_ told you, you're not alone!" Guitars and drums began playing in the background. No one knew who played them.

"I'll be right beside you forevermore! I long to be like you, sis. Lie cold in the ground like you did. There's room inside for two, and I'm not grieving for you. And as we lay in silent bliss, I know you remember me. I long to be like you. Lie cold in the ground like you. There's room inside for two, and I'm not grieving for you. I'm coming for you." Madison quit playing, and the guitars died down shortly after.

"Sound familiar?" She asked, grinning.

"Yeah..."

"Mmm...It took a little bit to remember. Not a long time, but a decent amount." She clicked her forked tongue. "I just love how it says 'I'm not grieving for you' and that's a complete lie because you did- you grieved _hard_."

"Okay...so...what was that?" Clawdeen asked.

"After I died," Madison began, "Deuce started writing many more songs. This was my favorite, right before 'She Never Made It to the Emergency Room.' Or maybe 'Sinematic.'"

"How did a guitar play?" Jackson asked. "You weren't playing it."

Madison looked up at the ceiling, around at the flowers. "Not sure. Doesn't weird me out as much as you'd think it should." She stood up, putting her hands on her hips and accenting her slim hourglass figure even more. "So...is there anything you want to ask me?"

"Um...not now," Frankie said. "It might come eventually."

Madison shrugged. "Fine with me, my love."

"What?" Draculaura asked.

"She always says it," Ianthe clarified. "Deuce has 'dude.' Mad has 'my love.' It's her thing."

Madison clapped and pointed. "Oh yeah! I need to tell you something. You _all_ something. It's about that fusion confusion."

"Wait," Ashton interrupted, "is this when we were watching the chaos and Gwen sa-"

"Yeah," Madison said, smiling from ear to ear. Ashton broke out into a wide grin. "Gwen? Would you like to tell them what you asked me?"

"Alright," Gwendolyn said. "What if there was a guy with you, and that guy was fused with a ghoul. Would it be a guy with boobs or a ghoul with a penis? But think about it! Like, that guy better hope she's flat chested. If she isn't, he could blame it on him being fat. Would that work? But if it's a ghoul, and a guy's about to have sex with her. Pulls down her pants, and WHOA! WHAT THE HELL?!" She clapped, and it was louder than a normal clap. It was thunderous. "Boom. Transgender. Or if the ghoul's about to be raped. OH! OH GOD! NO! NEVERMIND!"

"Superhero name," Ashton cut her off. "The Broken Libido." Everyone laughed, and Iris sat down, about to piss herself.

"That's..." Jason said, "...no. That's not right."

"We've all thought of worse," Ianthe said, shrugging.

Gwendolyn elbowed Gabriel. "Except for this Goody-Two-Shoes over here. Am I right, Gabe?" Gabriel rolled his meadow green eyes. "He knows I'm right," Gwendolyn mouthed silently.

"Wait!" Frankie said. She counted all of the sisters, half brothers, half sisters, and stepsisters in the room. "Gwendolyn. Gabriel. Kira. Jason. Iris. Evangeline. Madison. Ianthe. Ashton. Lacie. Roxie. Eleven..."

"Which is what the eleven flowers symbolize," Ghoulia groaned.

"And here I was thinking you'd lost the last one or something!" Draculaura said. She laughed. "Well, that totes makes more sense."

"That totes makes...wait, what?" Lacie asked, confusion running through her veins.

"It's trendy," Roxie said. "Basic b*tch language. You've missed out on all that."

Frankie looked down and noticed Madison's hands. They were burned, cracking with dryness and slightly red. She motioned to the gorgon's hands. "Is that from after you died," Frankie asked, "when your father set you on fire?"

Madison opened her mouth, then closed it before pursing her lips.

Ianthe noticed her sister's discomfort. "What is the outside like?" She asked, leaning into Deuce. He quickly noticed the sudden subject change.

"What?" Frankie asked.

"What does it feel like to be in the other world?!" Ianthe repeated.

"There's...not really a way to describe it," Jackson said.

Ianthe's face fell. "D*mmit."

Gabriel's eyes widened. "Ianthe!"

"Good god, Gabriel!" Gwendolyn's own eyes widening. It was then that the group realized the green irises were surrounded by black instead of white. "It's not a bad word!"

"Do not take the Lord's name in vain!"

"I'm not, you freaking... _whoremonger_!" The family laughed except Gabriel.

"Whoremonger," Lamia chuckled. "I love it!"

"Ooh!" Iris perked up. "Should we show them how we've been stalk- I mean studying them?"

"Oh, yeah," Madison looked towards the group. "Follow me."

* * *

Madison led the group to a door with no symbol. She opened it up, and everyone trailed inside. There was a very large computer-television hybrid. However, there was a keyboard and mouse on the desk. There was one folder on the hybrid; it was named "Everything".

"This is the TAV-computer, also known as the Technologically-Advanced Virtual computer. This is what we use as our connection to life." Madison poked the monitor with her finger, and the computer was revealed to be touchscreen. She clicked on the folder. There were a few other folders inside the folder. There was an app called OWL. Madison clicked on it. "So OWL stands for Outside World Link. We can see what's going on wherever. If we wanted to- I don't know- see Heath to pay back for the project fiasco, we click on the search bar and type in a person's name and location, so 'Heath Burns comma Monster High.'" Madison typed in "Heath Burns, Monster High." Heath popped up on the screen. He was flirting with a lion-esque girl with a tail. "Now, we can add in our own special effects. In our folder, we have memories-much like our doors do. We can insert a specific memory- which is kinda like how you saw my memories earlier in that hallway- or we can add in ourselves, so the other can see us in a way like a hologram- like what we did in my bedroom."

"Wait, what?" Clawdeen asked. "What happened in your bed-"

"You can add in pictures, holograms- like the birds, and voice recordings as well," Madison interrupted, trying to disguise the fact that the two went into her room. She knew the rest of them would be irate for not seeing it as well, and she wasn't in the mood for any arguments. "Now, let's add in a voice recording." She clicked on a small microphone in the top left-hand corner.

"Heath!" Heath jumped.

"Who's there?" he said to no one in particular.

"No need for that!" Madison said. "Why didn't you do your project?"

"I, uh, got busy."

"Busy doing what? Masturbating?"

Heath turned beet red. The girl Heath was flirting with was weirded out, and she scoffed and walked away.

"This icon," Madison said to the group as she dragged the mouse over an icon with a small crowd of gray silhouettes, "lets everybody see it. However," she put the mouse over an icon with a single gray silhouette next to the other icon, "we're on a single person only."

"So only Heath knows?" Clawd said.

"Exactly. For the hologram, we click on this icon." She dragged the mouse over to the two silhouettes: a gray one and a blue one. She clicked on it. The entire room that they were in transforms into the scene on the TAV-computer.

"Voltage..." Frankie marveled.

"Now we can do things like this." Madison made a fist and punched a locker, leaving a large indenture in the door. Most everyone was left with wide eyes.

"Um, remind me not to mess with you," Draculaura said.

Madison smiled. "You're fine unless you're a b*tch." Clawd, Operetta, Draculaura, Frankie, Clawdeen, Jackson, Abbey, and Lagoona all looked at Cleo, who rolled her eyes. "She's a good b*tch," Madison laughed. "Like Lamia."

"B*tch," Lamia said, "I'm bad to bone."

"The stranded puppies?"

"That was a one-time thing."

"The near-dead cat?"

"It looked helpless."

"What about the orphan?"

"I didn't want him turning out like _you_."

"How about the-"

"Fight me!" Lamia said. Madison pointed to the dented locker in response.

"I've had my fun."

"Whatever." Lamia rolled her crystal eyes.

Everyone saw Heath staring at the group, his eyes wide with fright and confusion.

"So...Heath sees all of us?" Frankie asked.

"No, only a few," Madison answered. "My half and step siblings, Cleo, Ghoulia, Draculaura, Deuce, and I are the only ones he sees."

"Why is it only them?" Clawd asked.

"We either died or are undead. Or died before...It's kinda confusing." Madison exited out of OWL. "We also can look at old memories. It's pretty much like the memories you guys saw, but we can see them on the computer. We drag these memories onto OWL to have the outside world see them. They're kinda like visions or hallucinations." She clicked on a folder called 'Memories.' There were more folders. The first was called 'Hallways.' "Most of you have never died before, so you don't know that you go through a long hallway to get to the other side. I think the only people who know this are Cleo and maybe Draculaura. Cleo, didn't something go wrong when you, your father, and your sister were being mummified or something?"

"Something like that," Cleo said.

"And Draculaura, I don't know if you died when you became a vampire or not."

"There was a long hallway," Draculaura said.

"Okay, so you know what I'm talking about," Madison said. Draculaura nodded. "Each hallway is different and gives away certain aspects of that person's life. Each hallway must include one thing they like, one thing they fear, a way to connect them to the past, a hint at how they died, a way that connects them to the main hall, a daily reminder, a hobby, and their reflection."

"That seems...confusing," Lagonna said.

"It is elaborate," Madison agreed. "When someone dies, we get to see it on here. Okay, let me rephrase that. If we _know_ someone who dies, we can watch it on here. We wouldn't see people we don't know from Tanzania or something dying. However, when we died, the ones who were already dead got to see the hallway, so Ianthe watched all of it."

Ianthe shrugged. "What can I say? I get bored."

"However, if we watch our own hallway, we'll get put back into it. And most of the time, we _don't_ want to revisit them. They're horrifying." Madison said. "So we'll leave while you all watch it." Madison stepped away from the computer, and Ghoulia stepped forward and grabbed the mouse. "The only one who doesn't have a hallway is Ianthe, but you can watch the rest of them. They're in order chronologically by death. Good luck." Madison, Ianthe, Gabriel, Kira, Iris, Roxie, Jason, Evangeline, Lacie, Gwendolyn, and Ashton left the room. Ghoulia clicked on the first video, which was Lacie's hallway.

"Kinda scared about all this!" Frankie said, rubbing her biceps to get rid of the goosebumps.

"Relax," Clawd said. "It shouldn't be too bad."

Lacie opened her eyes. She quickly shut them after seeing a bright sun in her eyes. She put her hand over her eyes like a visor and opened them again. The sun shot down a fiery ball. It hit the dead, brown grass, and a large fire began to burn. The dead grass quickly caught fire, and it neared towards Lacie. She got up and began running. She panted as her feet brought her away from the approaching fire. A single house came into view. Lacie ran towards it and entered, shutting the door and blocking out the fire. There was a single lightbulb that hung in the empty room. Only two things were in the room: a desk and a sewing machine. Lacie slowly walked up to the sewing machine. It was antique and rusting in some areas, but the air elemental could see that it worked just fine. She knelt down onto the dusty wooden floor. She noticed some light blue, iridescent fabric on the table and picked it up, putting it on the sewing machine. A few stitches later, Lacie removed the fabric, holding up a pillowcase.

"Finished!" She cheered. "Now..." She searched around the desk. "Where is a needle?" She looked around, running her fingers along the desk until she accidentally pricked her finger on one. She picked it up, smiling. "Perfect!" She laced black thread through the eye and knotted it then laid it down on the desk. She stuffed the pillowcase with scraps and feathers from outside then picked the needle back up. She sewed a stitch on the pillowcase then continued making a straight stitch down the pillowcase. Suddenly, Lacie felt the hand that held the needle jut up. She tried to keep her hand still, but it had a mind of its own. The hand led the needle right through her bottom lip. Lacie screamed as the needle went into her upper lip, sewing her lips shut. The needle took a turn and went through her bottom lip. The needle made its way down Lacie's now-bloody lips, muffling her screams and cries of pain. The thread knotted, and the needle was cut. Lacie looks down to see her reflection in the metal of the sewing machine. Her pale, ashen face was white from terror. Her long, blonde hair was burnt at the bottoms, and her green eyes glistened from tears. Most noticeably, however, her full, pink lips were threaded shut with thick, black thread.

"NO!" She screamed, but it was muffled. She clawed at her lips, trying to rip the thread with her nails, but to no avail. It was too strong. She ran outside, hopeful to find help or a tool to cut the thread with. She saw three clouds in the sky, but none more. Suddenly, the clouds turned to an ashen gray. Raindrops began coming down. Lacie saw a figure sitting underneath the clouds, her clothes soaking with raindrops. She squinted and saw her twin.

"MAW-XIE!" Her muffled screams went ignored as Roxie's eyes darkened to a blackened green. Her eyebrows lowered. She pulled out her hand from behind her back. A knife laid in her palm. "Es! Ma liss, Mawxie!" Roxie came closer and closer to Lacie. She raised her knife, and she was soon a foot's distance from her twin. Roxie lifted the knife higher and, instead of cutting the thread sewing Lacie's lips down like the blonde thought, she brought it crashing down on her twin's neck, cutting a deep gash into it. Lacie's screams were muffled, and Roxie tore at her neck with the sharp blade. When she felt that her work was completed, she dropped the knife, walking away and leaving Lacie to bleed on the dry ground. The clouds rose over Lacie; the raindrops entered her parched mouth through the minuscule holes left by the sewing job and slid down her throat. They entered her nostrils and into her lungs. Lacie couldn't breathe. They gripped her throat and choked her with its grasp. Soon, she laid on the ground dead. Although she was dead, she felt her soul alive and moving. She felt herself spiraling and opened her eyes. She was not lying on the dry, itchy grass of the Earth anymore- she was instead on the hallway floor, Ianthe gripping her hand.

"It's strange," Clawdeen said, "like a simulation."

"Look!" Frankie said. "It's the next one!"

Roxie opened her eyes. She saw that she was in a clearing with a group of about twenty people- men and women alike. It was raining. The clouds were the color of dust, thick and dark. Roxie spread her arms out and let the raindrops glide across her skin. She looked down to see a puddle forming on the ground. Looking into it, her reflection stared back at her. Her dyed black hair was as dull as her green eyes, which Roxie hadn't noticed before. She also saw a mark across her neck as if it was trying to strangle her. Stomping in the puddle, she walked over to the people all surrounding a tree. One man was busy tying a rope to a large oak.

"What's going on?" Roxie asked the man.

"That one is evil." His answer was simple and broad, not helpful at all. "Needs to be punished for the crimes."

"What'd he do?" She turned to see another man carry a figure out to the tree and lift the figure up before wrapping the rope arounds the victim's neck. Roxie squinted and realized just who that figure was. "LACIE!"

The figure- Lacie- looked at Roxie. Her mouth was covered with a black piece of fabric, which muffled her speech. Her long, blonde pigtails were messy and had obviously been tampered with. Her green eyes were filled with fear. However, the most noticeable thing was the burn marks and coal black, shriveled-up patches of skin all over her body. Her skin was blistered, covered in burns and bubbles. Skin peeled back, revealing muscle. "MAW-XIE!" Lacie screamed. It was muffled, but Roxie knew she was calling for her.

Roxie began to run to her twin, but two men ahead of her stopped her in her tracks and held her back. Roxie kicked and thrashed, trying to get out of the men's grasp. Lacie was pushed and fell. But the rope caught her by the neck. A single scream was heard before her neck snapped on impact. A loud cracking noise was heard, and Roxie covered her mouth with her hand. Tears stung her eyes. She let out a pierced cry and fell to the ground on her knees.

"All is done," the man said. "The world can live in peace once more." He untied the rope and lifted up the corpse. With Lacie's body in his hands, he walked towards a lake. He dropped the body, and everyone watched it sink to the bottom. Without thinking, Roxie ran to the lake and dove in. She swam quickly, holding her breath. She saw Lacie's corpse and grabbed it. She held it tightly in her arms then looked down to see it was gone, nothing in her arms. Roxie looked around frantically, but she didn't find the body. She instead saw a bright light. She was losing air but swam to it anyway. She was just about out of air before she reached the light. It blinded her, and when her eyes fixed to it, she saw Lacie and Ianthe standing in front of her. Roxie grabbed Lacie and put her face in her twin's shoulder. She let out tears, and Lacie held her tightly, comforting her.

"It's so strange, yet...sad," Draculaura commented. "They died a gruesome death, and now they have to go through this on the way to the Afterlife."

"Does not seem fun," Abbey agreed.

"And they must love the theme of Lacie not being able to talk," Clawd said.

"Who's next?" Jackson asked.

"Evangeline," Deuce answered, never once taking his eyes off the screen.

Evangeline opened her eyes. She stood in a forest, and the trees were in two long rows on either side of her, forming a hallway. She began to walk down the hallway. A large, blue and black butterfly flutters up towards Evangeline. She giggled as the insect landed on her nose. A red butterfly landed on her shoulder, and a yellow one landed on her left index finger. Suddenly, a bee-sized creature with magenta wings, pastel pink skin, purple hair, and dark eyes flew up to Evangeline.

"What is that?" Frankie asked, intrigued by the creature.

"A pixie!" Draculaura said happily.

Evangeline stared intently as the pixie led the butterflies to the trees. Once they were all in the forest, Evangeline kept walking. Her tiny feet crushed the small twigs and stones on the floor. She looked at the ground as she walked. Soon, she saw she was walking in shallow water. Evangeline looked up to see a shimmering, turquoise lake. Looking down, she saw herself in the lake's reflection. Her blonde curls framed her round, rosy face. Her pert nose and thin lips looked the same, but she noticed that her green eyes didn't gleam like they used to. They were now lackluster, which saddened the fairy girl.

"Evangel," voice called out to her. Evangeline whipped her head around, her curls swinging behind her. "Evangel!" Evangeline narrowed her green eyes to see a green pixie looking at her. She motioned to a tree of apples. "Try some fruit, Evangel." Evangeline contemplated the pixie's words as she knitted her blonde eyebrows. "You know you're hungry. Try the fruit."

Evangeline reached up and grabbed an apple. She pulled it off the tree, but she didn't see the pixie grin maliciously. Evangeline bit into the apple. The juice dribbled down her chin. Suddenly, Evangeline's stomach lurched forward. "I don't...I don't feel so good..." She could feel the chewed and swallowed apple rise up in her throat. It came up, and Evangeline spit it out. The pixie's smirk faded to an angry scowl. The pixie's skin on her face peeled off, revealing a charcoal gray layer underneath. Her eyes fell out and left only dark sockets. Most of her hair fell out, and her green wings shriveled, ripped, crumpled, and tore. They faded to a dull gray. The pixie grew to about five feet tall. Her feet lifted off the floor until she was levitating. Evangeline's eyes widened in horror, and she was frozen in place. All she could do was stare at the pixie-turned-moth.

"Eat the fruit!" The creature screeched.

Evangeline began running away from the moth, and once she had a running start, she began flying. Trees zoomed past her as Evangeline whipped through the hallway. The wind ripped her curls backwards, and the moth continued to chase her. The fairy tried to fly faster, but the moth was quicker. She flew up behind Evangeline and impaled her with her antennae. Evangeline slumped forward and closed her eyes. A few moments later, she opened them to find her half sisters and stepsisters around her.

"These just seem to get creepier and creepier each time," Operetta said.

"Tell me about it," Clawd agreed.

Iris opened her eyes. She stood on a stage. There was a large audience in front of her, all cheering. Iris looked closely to see some wearing masks. They all were exact copies of Iris's face. It creeped her out slightly, but otherwise felt flattered and important. She curtsied.

"Thank you!" She said dramatically. "Thank you all!"

Someone on the balcony tried to throw her a rose. He leaned too far forward and fell off the balcony. No one cared, and they kept watching Iris. The girl was the only one that cared about the young man that fell.

"Can someone please help him?" Iris's words went unheard, and the young man wasn't helped. Someone in the crowd got on someone else's shoulders. They put the sides of their hands on their mouth to make their sound louder.

"Give us a show, Iris!" The crowd cheered, and Iris smiled, although still upset by the young man's fall. She walked to the front of the middle of the stage.

"There once was a time when the world was in black and white," Iris began. "There were no colors and only shades. However, born from her mother was a girl whose name was Nixie. She had the power to create rainbows." Iris lifted her right arm up in an upside-down U-shape. A rainbow streamed from her fingertips. It amazed the crowd. They all gazed upon the rainbow with amazement and curiosity. Iris put her hand down. The rainbow stayed for a second before fading off. "Nixie didn't want to see the world in black and white. She wanted color in her gloomy world. One day in a crowded area, Nixie grabbed a woman wearing a white dress." Iris gave her hand out to a woman wearing a white dress. The woman gripped her hand, and Iris pulled her to the stage. "The woman's name was," Iris looked to the woman.

"Lucille."

"So Nixie had asked Lucille, 'Do you want me to show you a trick?' The woman responded-" Iris looked at Lucille again.

"Yes."

"So Nixie pointed at Lucille's dress and made it only one color of the rainbow. She caused the white dress to become blue." Iris pointed her finger out towards Lucille's dress. In a second's time, a blue light shone out of young Iris's finger and hit the dress. It turned blue. The crowd was amazed once more. "The world had never seen colors, so they couldn't believe their eyes. 'Do another!' A man said. So she did." Iris pointed her finger at a man wearing a gray tuxedo. She changed its color to red. "Nixie showed the world what it was like to have color. Be like Nixie. Create rainbows in someone else's world of darkness and brighten up their day."

"That's inspirational," Lagoona said, smiling.

"Typical Iris, I'm guessing?" Abbey asked Deuce.

"Yeah," he answered, his eyes still glued to the screen.

The crowd clapped and cheered loudly. Iris curtsied and saw a group of girls that all had brown hair in the front in the left. Iris stepped closer to them and noticed all their backs were turned. They formed a circle. Iris saw a blonde girl with braces and glasses in the middle of the circle. The brunettes were kicking the girl.

"Hey, stop!" Iris swung at one of the girls. Her fist hit the girl's cheek. The girls all turn, and Iris saw that they were all copies of Marisa. Iris took a step back.

"No one treats Marisa like that!" Lucille yelled. She pushed Iris off the stage. The audience crowded closer and closer to her. They swarmed Iris, who closed her royal blue eyes. When she didn't feel them on her anymore, she opened her eyes. She was sitting in a room with her stepsisters.

"What the-"

"I understand her confusion," Frankie interrupted.

"Course you do," Abbey said.

Kira opened her eyes. She was in an abandoned parking lot. She saw a pale man hand a woman with brown hair a coin. Kira saw herself in the coin, but so did the woman. She turned to look at Kira, and Kira realized the woman is Marisa. Marisa smirked at her daughter.

"Where have you been, slut?" Marisa asked. Marisa's eyes rolled to the back of her head then turn completely black. Her teeth grew to fangs, and the nails grew long and sharp. Kira stood wide-eyed in silence in front of her. "Answer me, B*TCH!"

Marisa darted towards Kira, who ran in the opposite direction. The cars seemed to form a hallway as Marisa continued to chase her daughter through the parking lot. After running for about thirty seconds, Kira looked behind her. Marisa was no longer there. Instead, she saw a pale, sickly child with thin arms and a sunken-in face. It split into two, then the two split into four, and so on. Suddenly, they were all surrounding Kira. She tried to push them off her, but they kept clawing at her skin. A few bit her arms to end their aching hunger. She sat down, closed her eyes, and wrapped her arms around her bent legs, hugging them to her chest. Soon, they disappeared, and she opened her blue eyes. Standing up, she noticed the scenery had changed. On either side of her were bookshelves filled with books. They formed a hallway above the carpeted floor. Kira grabbed a red book off the shelf and read the back of it before putting it back. She picked up another and opened it. The pictures sprouted to life, flying off the page. A small, blue bird flittered its thin, paper wings. Kira let out a grin.

"Whoa..." The paper bird tweeted a sweet melody then fluttered back into the page. Kira headed down the hallway and saw a librarian. She had glasses, and her hair was put into a bun. Kira walked up to her and studied her golden eyes. Suddenly, the librarian grew a beard. She ripped off her floor-length skirt and turtleneck to reveal trousers, knee-length boots with buckles, and a shirt- everything in green. The librarian, whom Kira can now tell was a man, slid on a tall hat. "Leprechauns...Why does it always have to be leprechauns?"

The leprechaun grew taller and taller until Kira was but an ant to him. Looking down on her, the leprechaun crushed her with his foot. Kira closed her eyes but opened them when she felt something hanging on her arm. She looked towards it and saw Iris hugging her and all of her stepsisters smiling around her, welcoming her home.

"The ending is always somewhat the same," Jackson noted. "They all reunite with their family." He looked towards Deuce. "Is that how it always happens?" Deuce, however, continued staring at the screen. "Deuce?"

Deuce quickly whipped his head towards Jackson before looking back at the screen. "Sorry, I just...haven't seen them in forever. This is the closest I've been to them for a while now."

Gabriel opened his eyes. He saw an eggshell blue sky, a cloud hallway, and angels surrounding him. He smiled, realizing he was home. He walked towards the others, but they backed away, as if he was deathly contagious. Gabriel's eyebrows arched in sadness and confusion. However, he instead walked down the hall. He sees a woman with platinum blonde hair, pale skin, blue eyes, a golden halo, and large, feathery, white wings. Gabriel headed towards her.

"Mom!" The angel woman, Laila, took a step backwards, but Gabriel continued to walk towards her. "Mom, why is everyone afraid of me?"

"You need to go see him," Laila told her son. She bit her bottom lip, trying to hide her expression.

"Why?" The seven-year-old inquired. Laila's expression turned grave, and it left Gabriel in confusion. However, being the obedient boy he was, he complied. Gabriel and Laila walked towards an angel man with a Bible in his hand. He was in the middle of preaching. He saw Gabriel and stopped.

"You need to leave," the man- Leo- said. "You don't belong with the rest of us."

"...Where will I go?" Gabriel asked.

"There's only one other place to go."

Gabriel paled. "No...no, please!" He said quickly. "Anywhere but there!"

"There's no other way, boy," Leo said, shaking his head. "You're half human. You have sin in you, running through your veins, poisoning your innocence- your purity- with evil. You can't be here. Sin is eternal death. Sin is separation from God."

"But...but Jesus! Through him, I can-"

"It's too late."

"But...you-you can't...only God can send me anyway..." Leo looked at young Gabriel with stern eyes. "He...he sent you to get rid of me?" Leo nodded. Gabriel put his left hand on his mouth to hide his quivering. Tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. "Please...don't send me there."

"I have no choice."

Gabriel closed his eyes and bawled. He put his face in his hands. Leo put his hand on Gabriel's shoulder and pushed him backwards. A lake appeared behind the angel, and he fell in. He opened his eyes, only to quickly shut them again. Water surrounded him on all sides. Gabriel held his breath as he tried to swim to the top, but the water seemed to keep rising as he couldn't get to the top. Soon, he lost breath. Water filled his lungs, and Gabriel no longer tried to swim. He let it take him away. Suddenly, he heard cackling. Gabriel took his face out of his hands and saw many demons surrounding him, laughing at his misery.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?" One of the demons- Blade- mocked.

"Looks like you're one of us, now," another one- Agatha- said.

"But he's an angel. How can he be?" Shade asked.

"Uh, yeah," Raven said. "Most of us _are_ angels. Or were, anyway. Fallen ones. He fits right in."

"Just have to rip out those two wings of his," Agatha said. "Shame, really. What lovely little things."

"Oh my ghoul..." Viperine whispered, putting a hand to her mouth, covering her dropped jaw.

Gabriel wrapped his wings around himself as if he were hugging himself. His eyes filled with panic. "You...you wouldn't!"

"Oh, wouldn't we?" Blade laughed. "Bring 'em in, One Eye!" A demon with one red eye dragged in a creature by a rusted metal chain. The creature's skin was fair but bruised, burnt, and bloodied. One Eye dropped the chain, and the creature fell to its knees. Gabriel saw two bloody holes in its back. His jaw dropped, and he began sobbing uncontrollably. The demons laughed at this. "Alright, Agatha. Hand me my tool."

Agatha handed Blade a large pair of tongs with spikes on the ends. Gabriel shook in fear. Agatha and Raven pushed Gabriel onto his knees, then ripped off his shirt, revealing his back. Small scars littered the skin, no doubt from Mark's previous abuse. Blade put the spike-covered part of the tongs in the fire to heat them up. Once it was heated, Blade grabbed Gabriel's wings with them. Gabriel shrieked in pain, and the demons laughed so hard that tears dripped from their eyes.

"I don't want to watch this," Deuce said, looking down to his hands.

"It shouldn't be too much longer," Seth said, putting a hand on Deuce's shoulder. Deuce's eyebrows knitted in anger.

"What?" Blade patronized. "Can't handle a bit of PAIN?!" Blade ripped off the first wing. Gabriel shrieked in excruciating agony. Blood poured from the hole in his back.

"Please...stop!"

"Hmm...let me think about it...Sorry, wrong answer." Blade ripped off the second wing, and Gabriel screamed again. Blade threw both wings into a giant fire. The fire happily ate the feathery wings and grew in size, heating the sweat from heat and pain and cried out. "Can't take the heat, Angel Boy?"

"Welcome to Hell!" The demons laughed, and Gabriel fell to the floor. He saw a demon with a shield and looked into it, seeing his reflection. His skin was pale and wet. Tears streaked his red face, and his eyes looked glassy. It scared him. He closed his eyes as he cried. Suddenly, he felt someone stroking his arm.

"Calm down. We're not going to hurt you."

Gabriel looked up to see the figure. She had green snakes for hair and welcoming, emerald snake eyes.

"Maddie...? Maddie! Madison!" The girl smiled and shook her head.

"No...not quite." Gabriel felt his back with his fingers. He touched his wings, then he let out a sigh of relief.

"Mock's just really loved," Lamia said to no one in particular. "Probably makes Violet feel unimportant."

Gwendolyn opened her eyes. She stood on a long cloud that resembled a hall. The sky was eggshell blue, and a light entered in through the cloud floor. Gwendolyn walked down the hall, and as she walked, she saw figures in the distance. She continued to walk towards the figures, and the closer she got, she made them out. They were angels, all staring at the half-demon with wide, disgusted eyes. Gwendolyn ignored them and kept walking. They began to whisper and point, but she turned a blind eye on them. She got to a certain point, and two male angels blocked the hall with swords.

"You're not continuing down this road," Augustus, one of the angels, said.

"Why not?"

An angel woman came up to Gwendolyn. She had brown hair and eyes and a perfect face, but it was filled with disgust. "Look at yourself!" She handed young Gwendolyn a shiny, silver stone. Gwendolyn stared into it. She saw herself, but she knew something was different. However, she couldn't tell what it was. Gwendolyn looked back up at the angel woman, who took the stone back from her. "You don't belong here."

She placed her hand on Gwendolyn's face and pushed her backward. Gwendolyn attempted to claw the hand off her face, but the angel refused to let go. Finally, Gwendolyn ripped the hand off herself and saw that the angels, the beautiful, blue sky, the cloud hall, and the hand were all gone. They were replaced with a brick wall, a concrete hall, and a woman smoking. She had red skin, long, straight black hair, completely black eyes, long fingernails, and two sets of horns. One set was similar to that of a ram's and the other resembled two blades protruded out of her skull. The woman held a cigar in her right hand. She looked at Gwendolyn and let out a puff of smoke. Gwen recognized her immediately. She was Amarantha, her mother.

"About d*mn time your a*s showed." She turned herself to fire. She disappeared and reappeared in her fiery form in front of Gwendolyn, then returned back to her demon form. "Where were you?"

Gwendolyn shrugged, and Amarantha scoffed in return. She put her cigar down next to a picture. Gwendolyn looked closely at the picture and saw her six-year-old self with a blue ribbon and a piece she'd welded. Gwendolyn walked to the kitchen and saw beakers full of mercury. She ignored them and pulled an apple out of the refrigerator. She bit into it and turned around. She saw a man whom she didn't know. And in his hands was a gun. Gwendolyn dropped the apple.

"Thought you could protect them forever, but they have to fend for themselves someday."

"Who?" Gwendolyn asked. In the back of her mind, she felt like she knew. She could see the faces, but she didn't know the names.

"It's not over yet...Just one press and you're with them forever."

"Who?!" She repeated.

"Say goodnight."

The man pulled the trigger. The bullet flew out of the gun and hit the demon-human hybrid in the head. She toppled backwards and landed on the floor. However, the floor disappeared underneath her, and she fell in a vortex. She closed her eyes and curled in on herself. Suddenly, a brunt force hit her back. She opened her eyes and saw she was laying on a floor. She sat up and looked around but didn't recognize the area. However, she recognized the seven people around her: Gabriel, Kira, Iris, Ianthe, Evangeline, Lacie, and Roxie. Gabriel wrapped his arms around her, and Gwendolyn put her face in his shoulder and sobbed.

"I'm so glad you're safe," Gabriel whispered into her ear, putting his lips onto her temple where a new bullet wound laid.

"It's those few times you can see that they truly do love each other," Deuce mumbled to Seth, who nodded in return.

"Yeah..."

"Who's next?" Cleo asked.

"Uh...Ashton, right?" Lamia said. Deuce's face lit up.

"Oh, you're all in for a treat! He's hilarious and a huge mess."

Ashton opened his eyes. He saw a young woman with dark brown hair and horns in front of him. He immediately recognized the woman.

"Mom! Mom!" The woman began running away from Ashton, so he chased after her. He ran through the forest that eerily resembled a hallway, the wind whipping through his blonde buzzcut. "Mom! Wait up! You can't run from your mistakes!"

Clawdeen, Draculaura, Frankie, and Lagoona all covered their mouths with their hands. Jackson's mouth turned into an O-shape as Clawd, Seth, Lamia, and Deuce laughed.

"Did he really just say that?" Clawd laughed.

"Yeah," Deuce said, "and that probably won't be the worst thing he'll say." The woman ran faster, but so did Ashton.

"Mom, hold on! Wait for me!" Aston yelled.

The forest underneath Ashton's feet transformed into a track. The forest was replaced by a football field and the track around it. Many people were there, but Ashton's mother had disappeared. The people there were all runners. However, they all stood and stared at Ashton. "I...uh, hey! How are you?" No one answered him. "..Nice to see you all too."

A red-haired fire elemental walked up to Ashton. He stood in front of the satyr blankly for a few moments then put his right hand on Ashton's left shoulder. His bright yellow eyes blazed into Ashton's green. Suddenly, Ashton felt himself falling. He blinked and saw that now, he was in a dark hallway. He began to walk down it.

"Sure is dark down here...Hello?!" Ashton heard an echo.

Suddenly, a tall grim reaper appeared in front of the satyr, blocking his path.

"Behold!" He said in a deep voice. "I am the mighty Death! I have come to steal your soul!" Ashton looked at the scythe in Death's hand. It was shiny, and he could see his reflection in it.

"Cool scythe. Can I hold it?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Fine!" Death yelled, already aggravated with the blonde. He reluctantly handed Ashton the scythe. The normie-satyr hybrid swung it around, pretending to kill people. "Hey, hey! Be careful with that!"

"It's fine!" Ashton said, continuing to swing it around viciously. "Careful is my middle-" He dropped the scythe. It cracked, and many spirits flew out, all different colors and in all different directions. "...Name."

"DAH!" Death picked up the broken shards of his scythe in his bony fingers. He glared at Ashton. "Good going, boy!"

"I can fix this!" Ashton said.

"No. No, you can't."

Ashton took the pieces out of Death's hands and tried to shove the pieces back together. However, he broke it even more in the process. They crumbled like dust in his hands.

"...Whoops."

"Stop it!" Death yelled, ripping the pieces from Ashton's hands. "Just stop it!"

"...Sorry, Debt."

"Debt? DEATH! IT'S DEATH, YOU NUMBSKULL!"

"Well, _Death_ , think of it this way: Now your scythe is dead too!"

Death's eye twitched.

"Take the young boy, they said," Death mumbled to himself. "It'll be quick and easy, they said."

"Boy, they say a lot to you," Ashton said cheerfully. "Hey, so what is this place?"

"It decides whether someone is taking the stairway to heaven, the highway to hell, or if they're staying in the holding place."

"Where am I going?"

"Well, gee," Death said sarcastically, "I have no idea. Maybe you should _WALK_!" He shoved Ashton forward.

"No need to be so pushy." Ashton nudged Death with his elbow, squinted, wiggled his eyebrows, and drew a smile on his face. "Heh, heh. Ya get it? _Pushy_. Cause you _pushed_ me." Death rolled his eyes. Ashton kept walking. Soon, the hallway transformed into all pillows. The ceiling, floor, and walls were all pillowy, like a room from an insane asylum.

"Pillows..." Ashton said, his face looking upset and shocked as if he were regaining the memories of his death. Suddenly, he burst out in smiles. "I love pillows!" He ran up to the floor of pillows and jumped on it. He bounced off the pillow walls and landed on the floor, where he was thrown up again. The pillows were like trampolines. "Woo hoo! This is great!"

"What?!" Death yelled. "NO! You're not supposed to be having... _FUN_!"

"Too bad!" Ashton yelled, laughing giddily as Death was angered further.

"You're supposed to be getting traumatic memories of being suffocated! Of-of asphyxiation!"

Ashton stopped bouncing, his smile gone and his face upset. "Oh yeah..." He suddenly regained his smile. "Oh well!" He continued jumping. He laughed loudly, and Death lowered his eyebrows like that of an angry cartoon character. Death let out a huge groan.

"DAH! I give up!" Death created a portal while Ashton was in the air mid-jump. The blonde fell into the portal and landed on the floor of a large room.

"...Awesome!" He cheered. "Do it again! Do it again!" Ashton looked around to see is siblings surrounding him.

"Um," Gabriel said, lifting Ashton to his feet, "no thanks. You're staying here from now on. Where it's safe."

"Gabriel?!" Ashton said, genuinely shocked. "What are...what are you doing here?" Ashton poked Gabriel with his finger. Gabriel stared at his half brother for a bit. "Are you real?"

Roxie rolled her eyes. "Of course he's real, you egregious excuse for an oversized ram. You're dead. He's dead. We're _all_ dead."

"Oversized ram..." he mumbled. "Wait, what?!" He shrieked. "I'm dead?!"

"Did you think you were sleeping or something?" Roxie asked.

"...Maybe. Wasn't really sure." Roxie rolled her eyes once more.

"Well," Lamia said, "this is completely and utterly...well..."

"Ashton?" Seth asked.

Lamia laughed. "Yeah...Ashton."

Jason opened his eyes. He was in a forest. Sunlight peeked through the trees, and birds sang in the distance. The trees formed a hallway, which Jason decided to walk down. He then heard crinkling leaves and birds flying off. He perked up and saw a dash of brown. He chased after it, dodging small animals on the way to it. Jason realized that whatever it is, it was fast. But he was faster. Jason quickly caught up to the blur of brown. It was a young satyr girl. She had the same nose as himself and the same eggshell white horns as him and his brother. Jason believed it was his mother at a young age. Finally, the girl- Fawn- noticed her future son.

"Who are you?" She asked. She was only seven years old.

"Jason."

"That's my favorite name," the girl smiled. "Well, besides Ashton."

Jason's stomach lurched at the mention of his brother. "That's my brother. And my mother's name is Fawn. I'm guessing that's your name."

Her brown eyes widened. "How did you...Oh no!"

"What's wrong?"

"I messed with the hands of time! Papa told me not to, but I couldn't resist. Lady Autumn will be furious with me! I...I must go! And so must you!" Fawn reached into a small, brown bag that was strapped to her body. She pulled out a fine powder and blew it into Jason's eyes. Jason was blinded for a moment. The white powder stung his eyes. Once he regained his sight, he saw a silhouette with hairy- actually furry- legs and horns protruding out of its skull. Jason walked towards the figure. It didn't take long for him to recognize who it was.

"Ashton!"

Another silhouette came up from behind Ashton. He was taller and broader, more muscular. He put his hand on Ashton's mouth and nose, but Jason could see that in his hand was a pillow. Ashton screamed, but it was muffled. But his brother heard each one. Suddenly, the second figure disappeared, as did the pillow. Ashton's head slumped forward. Jason slowly crept towards Ashton. His head remained slumped. When the older brother reached Ashton, he doesn't move.

Suddenly, his head snapped up. His eyes were replaced with deep, bottomless holes. Blood leaked from each one. Jason jumped backwards in fright. Ashton put his hands on Jason's face, reaching for his eyes. Jason shut his eyes and screamed. Ashton put his mouth to his brother's ear.

"This isn't real."

Jason sat up quickly in his bed. It was pitch black. Jason's heavy breathing steadied, as did his heartbeat. Once he realized there was no danger and it was only a dream, he laid back down...

Only to find Ashton next to him. Same black, bloody holes for eyes. Jason let out a scream.

"This isn't real..."

Jason opened his eyes. He noticed that he was in a gym. Many people surrounded him, but they were all busy exercising. Thankfully for the human-satyr hybrid, everyone had their eyes. Jason lifted up a fifty pound weight and worked out with the weight. Although it wasn't a light weight, he lifted it with ease. He picked up another weight of the same weight and walked towards a man laying on a bench lifting weights.

"Those are some heavy weights, kid," the man, Carl, said. "You sure you wanna try with those?"

"No reason for me not to," Jason shrugged. The brunette heard a cry of pain and looks towards it. A man stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked on it. "Is...he okay?"

"Hmm?" Carl asked, looking to see what was the matter. "Oh, Ralph? Yeah, he always electrocutes himself while working on the outlets. Someone got pencil lead stuck in the hole, and he's been trying to get it out for a while. Always ends up shocking himself in the process though."

Jason looked at himself in the metal bench. To his surprise, he himself had no eyes. Carl sat up and turned towards Jason. His eyes rolled to the back of his head as he lifted the weight up higher than he should. Carl cracked the weight on Jason's head, and Jason fell to the floor. He closed his eyes and gripped his head in pain.

"Hey...hey, Jason! Wake up!" Jason was shaken, to his discomfort. He groaned and flipped to his side. "C'mon, I'm not getting any younger...or older for that matter." Jason opened his eyes to see a pair of shining, green eyes staring back at him. Short, blonde hair covered the head of the figure and his legs. He also had a large grin on his face.

"Ashton?!"

Ashton punched his brother's arm playfully. "Missed ya, pal. We all did." Eight others walked up to the duo. Jason reached out to them, and they all formed a large group hug. "Ten down. Only three more to go."

"The whole 'This isn't real' thing. And the eyeless figures. That was creepy," Clawdeen said. Frankie nodded in agreement.

Deuce noticed Cleo staring at the screen. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Is there something wrong, babe? You're usually more...vocal than this. Everything okay?"

"Yeah," she answered, "just a little strange. I know these people. I've seen them before. But I've never talked to them."

Deuce kissed her cheek. "It'll come back to you."

"And there's only one left."

"Madison..."

Madison opened her eyes. She was in a gray room made of stone. Surrounding her were weapons and torture devices. She grinned happily and made her way towards a coffin made of metal shaped as a woman. It had spikes on the inside. It was an iron maiden.

Madison stepped inside and closed the door on herself. The spikes come nowhere towards her stomach and waist, but they scratched at her thighs, chest, and butt. Madison frowned and exited the torture device. Next to that, she saw a Spanish Donkey, a chair covered in spikes, and a tub with honey and flies. Madison walked past them all and continued down the hallway of weapons. Then, each weapon looked more like a monster as she walked down the hall. Unmoving metal faces told her to keep moving. She got to the point where there were no more devices, but only young monsters. A dragon ghoul with brown hair whispered to her werecat friend, and they both giggled, pointing at Madison. Madison kept walking, ignoring them. A blonde vampire ghoul looked at her and pointed.

"Slut!" She called. The other monsters laughed, joining in to do the same thing.

"Whore!"

"B*tch!" Madison looked around her to see everyone pointing, laughing, and teasing her. An elf and a troll came up to her.

"You worthless waste of space."

"Go away!"

"Make me!"

"I don't make trash. I burn it."

The troll's eyes widened, and she shoved Madison into the wall. Madison closed her eyes. "What did you say to me?!" The troll brought Madison away from the wall only to smash her back into it. "ANSWER ME!"

Madison opened her eyes, and the troll turned to stone. Madison gaped and pushed the troll away from her, freeing herself from its grasp. She looked around. Everything- the monsters, the setting, everything- was now made of stone. Madison walked past everything, taking it in. She sat on the floor and put her face in her hands.

"Stop...stop this..." Madison whispered to no one in particular.

After a few moments, she lifted her face and wiped her eyes. She stood up and put her hand on a stone dragon girl's arm. Her skin turned black as coal from where Madison touched her. It spread like a disease, and suddenly, the dragon's entire body resembled a starless night. From where her feet were and where the statue stood standing, the floor changed as well. It spread as well and covered the rest of the statues. Madison was then falling into a pitch black void. Only darkness surrounded her. She landed with a thump, and she sat up quickly. The room had a concrete floor and cobwebs covering the wooden interior. The walls were empty, as was the room itself. However, Madison saw a silhouette in front of her, and she noticed it as Mark Jayne. His back was towards her, and he was unaware of his daughter behind him. An ax laid to the right of Madison. She picked it up, feeling its heavy weight bringing her thin fingers down. She walked carefully towards the man, silently so he didn't hear her. She gathered the strength to position it like a baseball bat over her shoulder. Suddenly, she swung it forward, and the ax went through his neck. His head fell off to the ground. Blood spurted from his neck, and his body fell to the concrete. The scarlet liquid poured from his neck onto the floor, pooling below him. Madison knelt into the blood beside him, sinking her fingers into the crimson. She ran her fingers through it, feeling every part of it staining her hands. Madison stood up and turned away, walking away from the murder she had committed. She heard footsteps behind her and turned around. The headless corpse of her father stood behind her. He had a knife in his hand, aimed at Madison's throat.

"I will never leave, in even in death," a voice said. The corpse moved the knife towards her torso, and Madison caught the quickest glimpse of herself in the knife's reflection. She was pale and malnourished, her face sunken in and her eyes filled with sadness, despair, and anger. Her body didn't seem proportioned to her, having gained weight on her breasts, butt, and thighs, and losing everything in her belly, arms, legs, and face. Young Madison looked back up at the corpse. "But first." The corpse turned around and sunk the knife into a figure Madison hadn't known was there.

"Deuce!" She screamed.

The real Deuce paled and sunk his head into Seth's shoulder, and Seth grabbed him and held him close. "It's just a simulation..."

Madison caught Deuce's clone just before he fell the the ground. She laid him down on the floor, and his back arched up in pain as he let out a cry. "It's okay. Relax." The gorgon girl's tears fell onto her twin's bloody face. He slowly closed his eyes as his skin turned cold. Madison squeaked, a small cry squeezing out of her closing throat. "Moró..." she whispered. She pressed her lips to his temple. She stood up shakily. The corpse still faced her.

"Goodnight," the voice said. "Sweet dreams in hell!" The corpse sunk the knife into Madison's belly. She screamed in agony, and the corpse dug the knife into her a bit deeper before ripping it out of her. Madison wobbled, trying to gain back her balance. The corpse pushed her, and she landed in an open grave. The corpse grabbed a shovel from beside him and shoveled some dirt up from a pile. It dropped it on Madison.

"As much as I'd like the past not to exist, it still does," Madison sang to herself to calm her nerves. The corpse scooped up another pile of dirt and dumped it on Madison. "And as much as I'd like to feel like I belong here, I'm just as scared as you." The corpse covered Madison's body completely in dirt. "I have nothing left." Dirt clumped into Madison's mouth, but it didn't stop her. "And all I feel is this cruel wanting. We've been falling for all this time. And now I'm lost in paradise." She sank deeper and deeper into the mud ground. A passage just small enough for her to pass let her dart off, trying to escape the underground prison, which was a maze of dirt and rock. "Run away! Run away!" She ran quicker and quicker. Her feet bruised from the rocks. "One day we won't feel this pain anymore!" Her breath hitched in her lungs. "Take it all the way! Shadows of you..." Madison spread her arms out like a bird, trying to feel the air on her skin. "Cause they won't let me go...!" The end was nearing, but there was no light at it, only a silhouette. As Madison came closer, the figure looked more and more like herself. She put her arms down and stopped running once she approached to the figure. The figure smiled happily at her.

"Ready to see the others?" Ianthe asked. She smiled at her long lost sister. Madison smiled as well. The two hugged, then Ianthe broke away. "A bit confused, I assume."

"Yeah, but-"

"It'll pass. All you need to know is that you never have to worry about Dad again."

"Wait...I'm...dead?"

"Still confused, and it will pass- I promise."

"No...no, no, no!" She said quickly. "I can't die! I can't leave Deuce alone with him!"

Deuce lowered his eyes, feeling guilty. He exhaled the air he didn't realize he had in his lungs. Seth rubbed his shoulder.

Madison began to cry, and Ianthe consoled her.

"Hey, calm down. He can fight this, and I promise you, it won't be as long as you think."

Madison wiped her tears. "O-Okay." Ianthe stuck out her hand to Madison, who grabbed it. The triplets walked hand-in-hand towards their other half siblings and stepsisters.

"These are upsetting and unsettling," Ghoulia groaned.

"Well," Clawdeen said, "I'm looking forward to nightmares tonight. How about all of you?" A couple people nodded. Some were in so much shock, they just stood motionlessly. Someone knocked before Madison opened the door.

"You done?"

"Yeah..." Frankie said. Everyone left the room. "That was..."

"How can you stand to watch your siblings be...tortured like that?!" Lagoona screamed.

"You get used to it after enough die," Lacie said quietly. "Plus the excitement of knowing you'll see them soon overpowers any fear or discomfort."

"Speaking of fear and discomfort," Draculaura said, "Frankie...isn't there something you should ask them?"

"Wait, what?" Madison asked.

"We have something of great significance to offer you," Ghoulia said.

"Which is...?"

"Well...um..." Frankie started, not sure how to ask. "You see..."

"Spit it out."

"Uh...okay...Can you..." She talked rapidly, "come back with us?"

"Come back with you?" Madison questioned.

"We can't stay here forever," Lamia said, "so she's wondering if you are coming reluctantly or by using force."

Jackson gave her a look. "That's not what we're saying at al-"

"So which will it be? Lamia interrupted.

"I don't want to come," Madison said simply.

"What?" Draculaura squeaked.

"Why not, mate?" Lagoona asked gently.

"Many reasons," Madison said. "For one, I'm safe here. No one can hurt me."

"Whether you want to stay or not, we're still taking someone," Seth said. "Ianthe? You've never lived. Now's your chance." Ianthe's eyes glistened with hope. She hurried over to Frankie's group. Madison looked at her sister with sadness.

"Ianthe..."

"Mad, come with us," Ianthe coaxed.

"None of you have any idea what will happen, do you?" Madison said. Lacie looked at her twin worriedly. "I've spent a lot of time looking through the pages of the future, and going with you can lead to serious trouble."

Lamia rolled her eyes. "Being with that douchenozzle, Mark, caused serious trouble. You still stayed until you died."

"Who's coming?" Viperine asked. There was a moment of silence.

"I died when I was two," Lacie said. "I lived most my life in here. I want to go back. I want to see the world. I want to _live_."

"Me too," Roxie said.

"I can't stay here..." Gabriel sighed.

"I agree," Gwendolyn said.

"Jason and I are going," Ashton said.

"I need to go back," Evangeline said, lowering her head, her blonde curls covering her face.

"We all need another chance," Iris said. "Kira?"

"I'm coming," her sister said. "I'm not leaving you."

"Maddie," Deuce said, "you'll be the only one left if you stay. Please...come back with us."

"I can't find my place in that world," Madison said. "Here, I know where I belong."

"Without them, you'll be alone."

"Until they die."

"And who knows how long that'll take." Deuce sighed. "Maddie...we can't stay. But if you want to, we won't force you."

"Hell yeah, we will!" Lamia cried out.

"It's her choice," Viperine said.

"Mockingbird, there was no point in them coming if you weren't leaving with them," Ianthe said. "They came for you." Madison looked to the side, then back at Ianthe. "They wouldn't have came if they didn't want you to come back with them."

Madison sighed. "I'll come with you."

"Yay!" Lacie cheered, clapping her pale hands together. "Are we leaving now?"

"Did you want to?" Jackson asked.

"Yes!" Ianthe all but screamed.

"Well, okay then," Clawd said. "Ghoulia, do you have your magic ready?"

"I'm ready when you are." She handed the phone, which was still recording, to Frankie and took out a yellow serum in a container. She removed the cork off the top and dumped the yellow liquid onto the floor. A portal was created. Ghoulia took the phone back and jumped in the portal. Frankie followed, then Draculaura and Clawdeen hopped in as well. Abbey and Lagoona followed suit, then Jackson and Clawd. Operetta went into the portal next. Gwendolyn pushed Gabriel into the portal, then she jumped in. Evangeline flew in, and Ashton and Jason ran and jumped in. Iris created a rainbow that she rode down on like a slide into the portal. Kira walked into the portal, and Lacie and Roxie skidded into it. Madison handed Ianthe a set of contacts. Ianthe put them in, and Madison put in her own pair. They linked arms and followed everyone else. Deuce put on his sunglasses, then held Cleo's hand as they jumped in together. The family returned to their old bodies, so they looked like exactly how they died, but large pieces of flesh were missing from being buried underground.

"How is every- oh..." Frankie stopped as she saw the corpses receive spirts back in them after many years of burial. Even going to a school with monsters could't prepare her or anyone else for the sight.

Madison's body was burnt in many pieces. Her right eye was completely missing, and her left foot was covered in ants. Chunks of her skin were missing on her face, limbs, and torso. Her red gown was ripped, showing off her bruised ribcage. She had large, gaping holes in her chest and back. "Seriously? I want to go back already."

Ianthe was covered in blood from head to toe. Her face was bruised and slightly pressed in (but it was slowly but surely filling out), and her right cheek's skin was gone, as well as the skin from her fingers, left leg, and back. "Oh, I'm quite bloody, aren't I?"

Evangeline only had a few blonde strands of curly hair left. Her wings were brown, ripped, and torn. Her flesh was gone in many places. She looked down at herself. Quickly, she screamed, "Oooohhhhhmigod, I look like a MOOOOOOOOOOOOTH!" She took off running. From what exactly, no one knew.

"Run, Forrest, run!" Lamia called.

As she ran, Evangeline's skin grew back, as well as her hair. Her wings faded back to their blue hue with a purple outline and indigo veins. Her shredded clothes returned to normal, changing out of the funeral garb and into everyday wear. They consisted of a collared, three-buttoned blue tee with a pocket filled with pens on the wearer's left side, a blue, indigo, and purple, plaid skirt, and purple flats. Her curly hair was let down, but two small pigtails were pulled up out of her face with blue hair ties. "Ooh!"

Gabriel returned to his normal self next. His clothes were a sky blue v-neck tee, blue jeans, blue boat shoes, and a wooden cross sat on a chain around his neck. Gwendolyn followed with sky blue flats with bows, blue jeans, a blue and purple mixed, v-neck shirt with sleeves that go to her elbow, and her signature infinity bracelet. Yet, the hole in Gwendolyn's temple remained.

"She's not the only one," Gabriel grinned.

"I liked the creepy look," Gwendolyn admitted.

Lacie and Roxie returned back to their old selves as well. Lacie sported a floor-length, blue skirt and a sky blue crop top with inch-long sleeves and a low neckline. She wore light blue sandals on her feet and a blue bracelet on her left arm. Her long, straight, blonde hair was pulled into two pigtails tied with blue hair ties. Roxie wore a red tee with black skinny jeans and black converse. Her shoulder-length, wavy, black hair was pulled into two low pigtails tied with red hair ties. Her hair covered her left eye.

"Yeah!" Lacie cheered.

Roxie simply rolled her eyes. "Gwen, I feel your pain. I can see my blonde roots."

Iris and Kira changed as well. Iris's wavy, blue hair hung down behind her back, out of the braid. She wore a short, sky blue dress with a sun on her right side and green grass and rainbow flowers at the bottom. She also wore green heels, a red ring on her right ring finger, six anklets on her left leg, each a different color of the rainbow, and a green bobble bracelet on her left wrist. On her right wrist, she still had her rainbow bracelet-imitation she received at birth. Kira had the same rainbow print on her neck and upper chest. She wore a green top with spaghetti straps, blue jeans, and green sneakers. Her straight, caramel hair rested on her shoulders, not styled.

"No more dresses!" Kira said, relieved.

"Well, I liked my dress..." Iris said.

Jason changed to a black wife beater and blue jeans. Ashton's body faded to red tee and jeans. Ashton kicked up into the air with both hooves and clapped them together.

"I'm back, baby!"

Jason smacked Ashton upside his head. "Yeah, right, genius."

The skin grew back on Madison and Ianthe. They regained missing limbs, and Ianthe's body cleared itself of blood. However, Madison's chest and back still had holes in them. Madison's snakes fell down onto her shoulders and in front of the right side of her face. Her clothes changed to a dress with a green corset, black skirt, and combat boots. Ianthe still sported the black dress with sky blue corset.

Suddenly, Caleen ran out from the entrance of the grave and attacked her siblings with hugs. Once done, Gwendolyn smacked Caleen upside the head.

"Why weren't you there?" She shouted.

"Seniors needed me!"

Ashton scoffed. "Lame."

"Alright," Frankie said, "we need you at our school tomorrow- all of you."

"Just do...whatever until then," Lagoona said.

"Probably should rejoin with family," Gabriel said.

"Amarantha is probably going to throw a dish at me," Gwendolyn said, rolling her eyes. "'BE GONE, ANGEL SPAWN!'"

"Amarantha?" Draculaura asked.

"Mom." Draculaura nodded.

"I can't wait for your mom to freak out," Lamia said to the triplets.

"It will definitely be weird seeing her again," Madison grinned.

"So...we all meet at Monster High tomorrow?" Jason asked.

"Yep," Frankie said.

"That's the plan," Clawd said.

"We'll see you there!" Madison said.

"Abbey and ghouls is seeing you too."

"Eee! I can't wait!" Ianthe squealed.

* * *

 **Well worth the wait? I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **The songs used were:**

 **"Give Unto Me" by Evanescence**

 **"Like You" by Evanescence**

 **"Lost in Paradise" by Evanescence**

 **The chapter title was taken from "Welcome to the Family" by Avenged Sevenfold**

 **Please review!**


	9. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Only Way Out is Letting Your Guard Down

* * *

 **It's been quite a while, hasn't it?**

 **I'm sorry for the long wait. I like to write a few chapters in advance before I publish one. Anyway, I wrote everything and was almost done with the last chapter of the story when they all deleted. The stories, the notes, everything was gone. I was irate and figured that I should just leave it alone, as not to anger myself even more. This was a horrible decision, as the longer I left it alone, the worse my writer's block got. I finally got to the point where I just said, "You know what? I really, _really_ need to do this."**

 **It was then I realized that part of the problem was the format I chose originally, which was in a script. I grew out of it, and looking back, I don't really like it. So I wound up going back through all the previous chapters and rewriting it from a present-tense script to past-tense novel. This took even more time, but I definitely prefer it, and hopefully you all do too.**

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

"Wait, what am I supposed to do again?" Operetta slapped her palm against her forehead. Ianthe held the notecards in her hands, looking back and forth between Operetta's glare and the cardstock.

"Just read them aloud!" The phantom said. "We have to memorize these, so it's almost like testing us."

"Ah," Ianthe said, nodding. "Okay."

The classroom was unoccupied by any teachers, so Headless Headmistress Bloodgood allowed the team to use the room. Operetta and Ghoulia stayed with Ianthe in the room as the others went off to gather materials. Although Deuce wasn't in their group and the part he was needed for was completed, he still promised to help.

"Alright," Ianthe said. She sat on a desk, swinging her legs mindlessly as she stared at the cards. "How much time did you dedicate to this project? Was it thrown together at last second or crafted over the span of time between receiving and presenting?"

"What would you say?" Operetta asked Ghoulia, who had her face buried in her laptop. "A week?"

"I would suggest informing them that we assembled this presentation over approximately a week and a half after having acquired it," Ghoulia groaned, not looking up from her computer. Her periwinkle fingers typed rapidly on the keyboard.

"If you were to rate yourself on the work ethic you have used," Ianthe read, "what would you give yourself? What would you give the group?"

"Tens," Operetta answered. "All the way."

"What is the single most important thing you want the audience to remember? Wait, where are these questions even coming from?"

"The rubric," Ghoulia answered.

Suddenly, the door to the classroom opened. Frankie pushed the door open with her hips as she carried a cardboard box into the room. She set it down on a desk. Clawdeen and Draculaura followed behind her, placing plastic containers filled with art supplies on the desk as well. Frankie opened the cardboard box, revealing layers of papers. Ianthe slid off the desk. She walked to the trio and began digging through one of the plastic tubs.

"What do you plan on doing with these?" Ianthe asked. She pulled out pipe cleaners and bent them, marveling at the way the fuzzy wires held their shape.

"We don't know yet," Frankie said.

"We might do a poster!" Draculaura said. "Ooh! Or maybe a banner!"

"A banner would work," Clawdeen said. "It wouldn't distract from the actual presentation."

The door opened again. This time, Deuce entered with Madison, Lamia, Seth, Clawd, and Jackson. "We're good," Madison grinned. "Everything's set up. The drums, amp, everything's good to go."

"The guys pretty much did all the setting up," Lamia said, "but we couldn't do the soundcheck with Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde over here." She pointed at Jackson behind her with her thumb.

"Why're you blaming me?" Jackson asked.

"Eesh! Don't get your panties in a bunch! I'm just messing with you." Jackson rolled his eyes, and Lamia trudged over to the art supplies. "That's pretty neat. What are those for?"

"We're thinking a banner," Draculaura said. Lamia nodded and took a seat on one of the desks. Draculaura looked towards the youngest gorgon. "Ianthe, wanna help?" Ianthe nodded enthusiastically and joined the vampire on the floor. Draculaura gave her a black marker and took a pink one for herself.

The door opened, and Lagoona, Abbey, Cleo, and Viperine entered along with all of the half siblings. When everyone was inside, Deuce grabbed a chair and sat in it backwards. "So what's happening tomorrow?"

"The plan is that you all," Frankie pointed to Madison and her siblings, "will wait in the back in the wing of the stage. We'll present the project, tell what happened, yada yada. When we're through, we're going to say something like, 'Oh, by the way, they're here' or something ridiculous like that."

"You'll come out of the wing, and we'll come out of the project with an A," Clawdeen said, cutting a piece of paper. "Simple."

"Anything we'll do or say in particular?" Madison asked, taking a seat next to her brother.

"Anything y'all want really," Operetta said. "We're reckoning you can just talk a little bit and give your life story. Maybe perform a song and give inspirational advice."

"So just like Music Festival?" She smiled.

Operetta grinned in return. "Yeah," she said, "just like Music Festival."

"So make sure you're ready by ten tomorrow morning," Lagoona said. "If you aren't, sneak in through the back when you're ready."

"Is that all we're needed for?" Jason asked. He picked up a bottle of glue and twisted the orange cap back and forth.

"Yeah," Frankie said, "I think so."

"Then, we probably need to head out," Gwendolyn said. Evangeline was halfway leaning on her shoulder. "It's been pretty draining being here. I think we all need the rest we can get."

"That'll fade eventually," Ghoulia said. "But in the meantime, if your body requires rest, give into that need and get sleep."

"Alright," Madison said, "then we'll see you tomorrow at nine."

"I can do your makeup!" Viperine said. "So as long as we're ready by ten."

"Sounds good," Frankie said. "We'll see you later."

* * *

"Tell me why I agreed to this again?" Madison asked Deuce. She fanned herself with her hands, which were sweating thanks to anxiety. She wiped her palms on her black skirt of her dress.

"Because you genuinely care more than you come across," Deuce answered. He reached into his pocket and pulled out an orange bottle. He removed the white cap and took Madison's hand in his, gently shaking two white pills out of the container and into her palm. "Take these. You'll be okay." Madison nodded and swallowed the pills dry. "My team's going out first. That gives you a bit of time to calm down before you go out."

"Okay," Madison said.

Deuce stood up. "Should I get Gwen or Gabe?"

"Either works."

"But right now, you'd prefer..."

"I guess Gabriel." Deuce nodded and walked off to find the angel.

Ianthe came over and sat down in Deuce's spot. "Are you ready?"

"Not really," Madison answered. "Are you?"

"Yeah, I'm really excited!" Ianthe said. "Will we get to go to high school too?"

"Yeah, probably," Madison said. "Mom would be pretty against us not going." Ianthe squealed in excitement. "Chill out. It's just high school. It's not as interesting as teen movies make it out to be."

"Deuce loves it here," Ianthe pointed out.

"Deuce is also nine levels of strange. He's also outgoing and oddly sociable."

"Everyone else seems to like it here too."

"It'll be like every other high school. Just wait."

Deuce returned with Gabriel, who sat beside Madison and wrapped her in his arms, followed by his wings. They were soft and feathery, and Madison relaxed immediately, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Keep an eye on her," Deuce whispered to Gabriel, who nodded in response. The gorgon looked back once before exiting the backstage, returning to his group. The team stood in front of Mr. Rotter.

"The presentation must be a minimum of seven minutes long," Mr. Rotter said. "This should be easy if you have the information." He looked around at the group. "And everyone speaks," the teacher said. "So I know you actually did something. The grade doesn't have to be the same for all team members, so I hope you know your material." Manny and Heath paled, knowing they'd fail the project and possibly even the class. "You are going first, so good luck." With that, Mr. Rotter walked away.

"Alright," Scarah said, "Slo Moe, you can control the slideshow. You can still talk though." He nodded. "As for you six," Scarah said, looking towards Toralei, Spectra, Meowlody, Purrsephone, Manny, and Heath, "you better not say a word. None of you deserve a grade any better than an F."

* * *

The auditorium filled up quickly as the main lights shut off. Hoodude aimed the stage lights at the middle of the stage. Robecca, Deuce, Gil, Toralei, Heath, Spectra, Invisi Billy, Scarah, Melody, Purrsephone, Manny, and Slo Moe stepped on stage. Slo Moe sat in a chair off to the side, his attention focused on the laptop.

Robecca lifted the microphone to her cold, copper lips. "Ladies and gentlemonsters! Welcome!" Her chipper voice rang throughout the large room. "We are Team Two in Mr. Rotter's final project, of which we had to learn about the teachers at Monster High." She paced around the stage. "Sometimes we feel as if adults can't relate to us. They don't have the mindset of teenagers, and some of them haven't been teenagers for decades or maybe even centuries!" She stopped pacing. "But in this project, we learned that teachers were just like us. They still went through the same problems. They still went through stress and acne and homework and sex and all of the parts of being a teenager that makes it so difficult." She grinned. "So without further ado, let us begin!"

Slo Moe flipped the screen. A picture of Headless Headmistress Bloodgood as a teenager appeared. Her black and purple, wavy hair was tied up into a high ponytail with a purple hairband. She wore a magenta cape, a blue polo, purple leggings, and black riding boots. She had a magenta bobble bracelet on her left wrist and purple horse-shaped earrings. Her periwinkle eyeshadow was blended to her crease, and she wore winged eyeliner. "This is a sixteen-year-old Headmistress Bloodgood," Robecca said. She saw her headmistress in the audience putting her face in her hands. "She was the perfect student. She always got all A's and never received detention. She tried to keep the peace between the student bodies and would volunteer around the community. She was a role model to not just students but to teachers as well. This is what makes her such a great headmistress and faculty member at Monster High." Robecca said, smiling. She handed the microphone to Scarah.

"Dr. Clamdestine was a prep," the banshee said as Slo Moe changed the picture on the screen. The teacher wore a coral collared shirt, khakis, and boat shoes. He had a pastel green sweater tied around his neck. "He always wore expensive clothes, and they reflected his personality. He acted snobby and stuck-up. He pretended to be better than everyone else. He's matured since his teenage days, growing up and realizing that he's no better than anyone else." Scarah handed the microphone to Invisi Billy.

Slo Moe changed the picture on the screen. A young man with a leather jacket and a blunt in his hand came across the screen. "Mr. Fenderbender was a stoner," Invisi Billy said. "He always skipped class, and the days he was in class he caused a muck or just hung out under the bleachers or behind the school smoking weed and joints. He'd always start fights and was always in detention for one reason or another. He always got D's and F's."

Invisi Billy walked over to Slo Moe and gave him the microphone. The zombie flipped the screen to a blonde boy with glasses and a hunchback playing chess before he spoke. "Mr. Hack was a gamer," he moaned. "He'd have game nights with his bloodies. He was on the chess team and a had a thing for Mrs. Kindergrubber."

Gil walked to Slo Moe to take the microphone. Slo Moe flipped the screen to a seventeen-year-old wearing a black, white, and pink football uniform. "Coach Igor was a jock. He was on the football, basketball, baseball, and soccer team. One season, his football team only lost one game. Igor claimed to be the best one on that team. He dated Mrs. Maiden. He was also a narcissist, if you couldn't tell from the comment earlier." Gil handed Deuce the microphone.

The picture on the screen changed to a short girl who was only fifteen. She had oversized, round glasses with circle frames and blonde hair that barely passed her shoulders. She wore a light pink dress that exposed her black Mary Janes and long, white socks that went up to the calf. She had dried paint all over her clothes. "This is Mrs. Kindergrubber," Deuce said. "Back before she realized culinary was her calling, she loved art. Between drawing, painting, sculpting, and just getting her hands in supplies, she was insane! She was in the art club and was very shy. She liked Mr. Hack, and they actually went to prom together." Deuce tried to give the microphone to Scarah, but Toralei attempted to snatch it instead. Deuce tossed the microphone high up into the air, towards Robecca, who used her rocket shoes to reach and catch it. Once she grabbed it, she gave the microphone to Scarah.

On the screen, a young girl with perfectly straight hair and a wicked expression wore a cheerleading outfit. "Mrs. Maiden was the captain of the fearleading team," Scarah began. "Just like a typical teen drama like Mean Ghouls or Booless, she wasn't just the captain; she was snobby, stuck-up, and uptight. She dated Coach Igor, but they broke it off during college because he was too narcissistic for his own good. Her grades were good, and she usually got B's." Scarah passed the microphone to Robecca.

"Mr. Rotter was the Heath Burns of his high school," Robecca said. His image appeared on the screen. He held a large, Abraham Lincoln-style hat in his hand, and his style and color-scheme were roughly the same, just with different looks thanks to the time period. He sported Marge Simpson hair, and the entire student body guffawed at the picture. Mr. Rotter simply rolled his eyes and regretted his choices, but he smiled to himself. "He was a class clown that tried so hard to impress teachers, but to no avail. He was never in any clubs or relationships, and well, it isn't hard to see why." Robecca passed the microphone to Gil.

Slo Moe changed the picture to one of Verizhe. He too wore his football uniform. His smile was white as snow and dazzled even through the picture. "Coach Verizhe was a jock on the football, casketball, and baseball team," Gil said. "He attracted girls everywhere and made guys jealous. He was disgustingly popular, and his grades consisted of B's and C's, which were enough to keep him on the sports teams. Someone would spread rumors of him, resulting in never having a relationship." Gil passed the microphone to Deuce.

"Next is Mr. Where," Deuce said. Slo Moe changed the picture, and Mr. Where's bandaged face appeared alongside three friends- two girls and one guy. "Even back then, he loved drama. He took drama classes each year and was in the drama club. He was in every show and was usually one of the main characters. He and his group of friends- Ella, Natalia, and Hayden- all were huge about drama. That was his clique, and his love of drama in high school inspired him to become a teacher to get others to love it too." Deuce gave Invisi Billy the microphone.

"Finally," said Invisi Billy, "is Mr. Zarr." A picture of a scrawny, lanky boy in glasses appeared on the screen. He wore a button-down and khaki pants. "Mr. Zarr was an all-A student. He was in the math club, science club, academic team, and chess club. He was a huge nerd and, as a result, was bullied. He'd often do their homework, but he'd always get his revenge by changing some answers." He handed the microphone to Robecca.

"As you can tell, many of the teachers we know and love were exactly like us. But after seeing how they matured, changed, and grew up, we can get a better understanding of how our own lives may turn out." The audience clapped, and the group bowed. Mr. Rotter walked on the stage, clapping. Robecca handed him the microphone before she and their team got off the stage and sat in the front row.

"Team One, are you ready?" Mr. Rotter asked. Frankie nodded, and the team got up and went to the stage. As they reached the stage, Mr. Rotter gave Frankie the microphone. She cleared her throat before lifting the microphone to her mouth.

"Hi! We're Team One!" She cheered. "We were assigned the project about a girl. A girl who should've gone to Monster High. A girl that should've lived her life. A girl whose name was Madison Jayne.

Behind the curtain on the wing of the stage, Ashton squeezed Madison's shoulder. "That's you!" He mouthed silently. Gwendolyn smacked him harder than she'd anticipated, and the whole audience heard a loud, thunderous slap. Everyone silenced immediately. Lagoona looked to the back of the wing to see what was the matter, but she only saw Iris covering her mouth to muffle her laughter.

"I...uh...anyway," Frankie said, struggling to remember what she was saying, "this is what she looked like." She nodded to Ghoulia, who was on her laptop. Ghoulia brought a picture up onto the main screen. The picture was of Madison, who appeared to not have realized the picture was being taken of her, as she was looking away from the camera. She wore a red and white lacy dress with a corset. She had three red roses tucked behind her left ear and rubies on her collarbone. The picture was taken at her home in Greece in the backyard. She sat underneath an olive tree, and she was laughing. Clawdeen took the microphone from Frankie.

"No one really knew she existed," Clawdeen said. "No one knew her name or her story. And when we did, we uncovered secrets from someone we all knew well." She didn't look at Deuce, who was thankful for that. "We found out who she was after watching a video of her performing for Music Festival when she was thirteen years old. It was for the county competition, and that year, it took place at Monster High. A video of her and her family performing was found by the teachers, who gave it to us and told us to investigate it."

"I knew something was odd the second I saw it," Operetta said, taking the microphone from Clawdeen. "I recognized her although I couldn't put my finger on it." Operetta handed the microphone to Draculaura.

"We went to Headmistress Bloodgood," the vampire said, "to ask about her. We knew nothing but her name. How were we supposed to find out who she was?" She passed the microphone to Lagoona.

"But then, the information came to us." Lagoona looked out into the crowd. "We received a note, telling us to meet the anonymous monster. She set the gears in motion, but none of us had known how deep the waters we were wading into were. Or how murky."

"But we will not waste the time on that," Abbey said. "Is not necessary."

"Madison's story began on March 5th," Frankie said as the microphone was passed to her. "She was born the middle triplet, yet the youngest had died before she was born. So it was just her and her brother."

"Her mother and father struggled with many issues during their short-lived marriage," Ghoulia groaned. "Between the alcoholism and infidelity, they divorced when the twins were merely four. Her mother fought long and hard for the custody of her children, but to no avail. Custody was given to their father, Mark."

"Her dad hurt her and her brother," Cleo said. "They survived off each other. And when their half siblings and stepsisters came into play, it was them against the world. Yet, Mark didn't want his secret exposed, so he would kill off the children one by one to silence them. Not only did it permanently hush one child, but it was a threat to the others."

"She turned to music as an escape," Operetta said. "She was beaten, locked up, raped, and silenced, but she looked to music as an outlet."

"That's when we saw her on the video," Clawd said. "She was performing for Music Festival, a competition she'd won consecutively for seven years. She went to Monster High to perform at county level. Then to state. Then to nationals. She took home first."

"Only a week or two after," Jackson said solemnly, "she too passed. She and her brother were at the cemetery visiting their siblings when Mark chased them down. He stabbed Madison before impaling her on a headstone. She died in her brother's arms on April 17th, 2007. She was only thirteen years old." They stood in silence for a second, taking the time to recognize Madison's death. The air in the room was tense, and it was so thick, you could cut it with a knife.

"Wait," Heath shouted, "so who's her brother?" The room quieted. Frankie looked to Deuce. Reluctantly, he stood up, and audible gasps were heard throughout the auditorium. The mint-skinned girl motioned him up to the stage, and he complied. He stood on the stage, looking down at his feet until the whispers softened.

"I am," Deuce said quietly. Frankie handed him a microphone, and he repeated it. "I am. I'm Madison's brother. I was born with her. I lived alongside her. I've been through things no one should have to go through and went through hell and back. I was abused by my father and watched my siblings die from my own eyes. And I still live. I still smile. I still learned how to love life. Everyone's going to die, and you might as well make the best of what time you have left." He returned the microphone to Frankie.

"But thanks to Ghoulia, we have a surprise for you," Frankie said, looking to the back of the stage. "Come on out, guys!"

On cue, the dozen walked out on stage in order from oldest to youngest. They stood in a line in the front of the stage, and Frankie walked up to Gwen.

"The oldest is Gwendolyn Evie Demõn," Frankie said, motioning to Gwen. "She's half normie-half demon, and she died when she was eight. She was shot in the temple." Gwen gave a tight, close-lipped smile as she pushed her straight, black hair out of the way to reveal the bullet wound.

"The second is Gabriel Angelus Halo, who is half normie and half angel." He smiled at the crown, his pearls sparkling under the stage lights. "He drowned when he was seven."

"Next is Madison's stepsister, who wasn't born from Mark. She too is half normie, but this time, she's a rainbüster, which is similar to a werewolf or wendigo, but it can change the colors of pretty much anything," Frankie clarified. "Her name is Kira Rainey Pallen, and she starved to death when she was seven." She gave a small smile.

"Then comes Jason Jael Buck, who is half-normie half-satyr. He was eleven when he was electrocuted."

"Iris Iraine Pallen is Kira's sister and is stepsister to the others. She fell to her death when she was six." The blue-haired beauty gave a large smile and waved to the crowd enthusiastically.

"Next is Evangeline Pixie Wings, half-fairy half-normie." Evangeline smiled and curtsied. "She died from food poisoning when she was six."

Frankie walked past Madison and skipped to "Ianthe Gorgon." The triplet gave small smile. "She is the youngest triplet and was the only one to have never been born."

"The tenth is Caleen Lily Eucalyptus," Frankie said as Caleen waved. "This normie-dryad was the only one to have never died."

"Next is Ashton Faunus Buck, who is Jason's brother." Ashton smirked and waved awkwardly. "He died when he was eight thanks to suffocation."

"The youngest are the twins," Frankie said, motioning to Lacie and Roxie. "Their names are Alessia and Roxanne, better known as Roxie and Lacie. They're sylphs, air elementals. Lacie was burned to death when she was two, and Roxie was hung when she was five." Roxie stayed stiff while Lacie blew kisses to the crowd.

"And last, but not least," Frankie said, walking back to the middle, "is Madison Gorgon, the middle triplet." Frankie smiled at the gorgon. "And I'm going to give her some time to talk to you guys." She handed the microphone to Madison, who stepped forward.

"Hey," she said. She leaned back and forth a bit, uncomfortable with the attention. "I honestly don't know what to say to you," she admitted, "but we'll see what we can do.

"Our family's had problems before Deuce and I were born," Madison began. "Someone was always screaming or yelling. If it wasn't death threats from Dad or complaints from Mom, they were the unfaithful, hushed screams of women I don't know the names of. My mom caught my dad several times, but nothing ever really changed. It didn't stop until she noticed Deuce and I getting hurt. The night she found out we'd been raped was one of the scariest nights of my life." Madison paused, trying to contain herself. "She put a knife against his neck. She would've ended his life then and there. But instead, she drove us to our aunts', where we stayed until they were divorced. Mom wanted custody of us, but the judge determined that we were to live with Dad yearlong, and Mom would get us in the summers. The judge knew about everything, but he didn't believe it. Humans are never in the wrong; it's always the monster's fault. If he'd only made a better decision, none of this would've happened.

"We moved to Oregon after they got divorced. It was where Mom and Dad met. A year later, Dad remarried a drug addict named Marisa, who was just as abusive as he was. To hide their secret, they killed their children. One by one, until there were only three of us left: Caleen, Deuce, and me.

"When we were six, someone had mentioned Music Festival to us. We gave it a try and came back every year. When Deuce and I were twelve, the judges announced we'd be going to county, something they'd never done before. Then, we went to state. That was horrifying, as it took place at the bar Dad always went to, and he sat in the front row. We went to nationals, which were in Boo York.

"We got back, and our cousins had left to go halfway across the world like usual. Deuce and I went to the cemetery to visit our siblings. It was there Dad killed me. Now, I'd been stabbed plenty of times, but none like that. It felt like my chest had been cut open with like, a melon baller or something before my heart was skewered out. Acid rain had been poured in the hole, and salt was rubbed into the open flesh. There's no pain that can describe that, and the sensation only got worse when he pushed me into the headstone. The same feeling entered my back as well, and I felt as if I were on fire from the inside. But the worst part was bleeding out. It was like a period- you feel every ounce of blood leak out of your body. But worse. And Deuce looked so upset, and as if my heart wasn't already hurting, that didn't help in the slightest.

"Feeling my spirit leave my body was interesting as well. It felt like someone took a vacuum and attached it to my chest. But it was the holiest, best air sucking me into the vacuum." Madison stopped. "There's really not more I can tell you guys."

"Does anyone have any questions?" Frankie asked. Hands shot up in the air. "Yes?" Frankie pointed to one.

"How old were you the first time you were raped?" Howleen asked.

"I was two," Madison answered. "I remember not knowing what was really happening. All I knew was that it hurt. A _lot_. And it felt wrong. I felt...dirty. Like I needed to take a shower afterwards. But no amount of scalding water and soap and scrubbing at my skin until I turned pink gets rid of that feeling."

"And Deuce?"

"I was four," Deuce answered. Howleen nodded and sank deeper into her seat uncomfortably.

"Yes?" Madison asked, pointing to a scaly hand.

"Why did you turn to music specifically?" Jinafire asked.

"It definitely takes your mind off it," Madison said. "Between coming up with lyrics and riffs and harmonies and everything that goes into it, it takes a lot of time and attention, and there's no room left to focus on the negatives of your life. Music was also a way to express my feelings to everyone, since not many people listen to mere words. Music gets their attention. And it generally improved my mood, so that's pretty nice." Madison looked around. "Anyone else?"

"Did you ever try committing suicide?" Avea asked.

"It had definitely been a thought more than once. I only tried it a time or two."

"What did you try taking?"

"My life. What about that didn't you get?"

"No, I mean-"

"Oh, the medicine?"

"Yeah."

"My antidepressants. Ironic, isn't it?" Madison pointed to Venus.

"What was one of the hardest parts about your life?" The plant monster asked.

"Definitely trying to start the day. Dragging myself out of bed took a lot, whether that was because physical pain or just the need to not want to face people. The people at home, the people at school, just everyone in general. Abuse hurt, but it's easy to forget the bruises when they're always there and you don't remember life without them. The war inside your head? Not so easy to block out." Madison pointed to someone else.

"What experience impacted you the most?" Skelita asked.

Madison paused, unsure if she really wanted to let everyone know or not. Finally, she sighed. "When Deuce and I were twelve, we were kidnapped. Dad had hired someone to take us, but he never knew where we were. He didn't want to know and didn't care. We were leaving school. It was the first day of March. We walked out the front doors and went down the stairs. Immediately, a white van pulled up to the curb, and three men in all black came out. They grabbed us, and although we fought tooth and nail, they won. They knocked us out. When I woke up, I saw we were tied up and in the back of the van.

"They drove us out to Portland. Their hideout was an abandoned warehouse. They locked Deuce and I in separate cells. They stripped me of everything. My clothes, my weapons, my humanity. I was chained by both my wrists and my ankles. They'd unlock one or two every so often if we were good, but it wasn't often. We'd get water once a day a food once every other day. It was usually something small. Bread or broth, things like that. They'd often bring people in who had paid to do whatever with us. We were objects- whether that was a sex toy of a living, breathing punching bag to get out their anger.

"We were never allowed to see each other. They were afraid that we'd plan to escape. They only let us see each other once. It was two weeks into the ordeal. It was only five minutes before they yanked us back into our cells. After a month and a half, they knew it was getting riskier. They planned on selling me off into child prostitution and killing Deuce." Madison stopped, feeling her throat close up. She gave the microphone to Deuce and let him tell his side of the story.

"They told me they were planning on killing me about a few days before the date," Deuce said. "They said I was well-behaved and therefore I could get one dying wish. I told them I wanted to talk Madison. They said they couldn't allow it. I asked to call Mom. They wouldn't let me do that either. It wasn't until that morning that I told them I wanted to die outside at night. I wanted my last view to be of the stars. They agreed and said it would be arranged.

"It was about ten at night when two men pulled me out of my cell. They took me the long way so that I could see Madison one last time. She was out cold but alive, and for that I was grateful. They brought me outside to a grassy area that was hidden from main streets. They laid me on the grass and let me look at the stars. They put the gun to my right temple. I was anxious. But I felt...calm. Sirens went off, and the one holding the gun got scared. He pulled the gun away from my head before pulling the trigger. The bullet grazed my ear and made my scales bleed, but other than that, I was fine. I did, however, pass out. Of what I know, the guys ran, the cops found me, and I was put in a hospital. Although I don't remember it, the doctors said I woke in the middle of the night screaming for my sister. They told the police that there was someone with me and I wasn't the only one."

"The two men who tried killing Deuce told me he was dead," Madison said. "They said that police killed him, and they needed to get me out of there, so they wouldn't get me too. They put me in the van and drove off to Eugene, Oregon. They tried selling me off to a pimp, but I ran off that night, and the man didn't realize until it was too late. The police found me somewhere in Corvallis and took me to Salem. Deuce and I were given back to Dad, and by that point, it was mid-April. That was one of my worst memories." Madison pointed to another hand.

"If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?" Neighthan asked.

"I would tell myself not to worry. Don't worry about Dad or Marisa or abuse or alcohol or rape or hate or anything along those lines. Focus on the things you love and the things that make you happy. Because your life will be over in the blink of an eye, and in those last moments, when you see your life flash before your eyes, you want to see the good times not the bad." The zombie-unicorn nodded.

"No more questions," Cleo said. "She just got back and doesn't need any more."

"Do you have a song?" Operetta whispered to Madison, who nodded. Operetta took the microphone. "Madison is most known for her voice. Who wants to hear her perform?" The crowd cheered. Operetta grinned at Madison and handed her the mic.

"This is called 'Lithium,'" Madison said.

Seth sat behind the drum set as Deuce grabbed an electric guitar and Lamia grabbed a bass. Madison walked to behind the piano and put the microphone in its stand. Her fingers danced across the keys, and she leaned in to sing. "Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside. Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without." Her voice was a million times better in person. The audience sat wide-eyed, and not one person said a word. "Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow. Oh, but God, I want to let it go." The guitar, bass, and drums kicked in. The music became heavier. "Come to bed, don't make me sleep alone. Couldn't hide the emptiness, you let it show. Never wanted it to be so cold. Just didn't drink enough to say you love me. I can't hold on to me. Wonder what's wrong with me.

"Lithium, don't want to lock me up inside. Lithium, don't want to forget how it feels without. Lithium, I want to stay in love with my sorrow." Her voice suddenly became full of strength and passion. "Don't want to let it lay me down this time. Drown my will to fly. Here in the darkness I know myself. Can't break free until I let it go. Let me go!" Her voice lost its intensity, but the passion remained. "Darling, I forgive you...After all, anything is better than to be alone. And in the end, I guess I had to fall. Always find my place among the ashes. I can't hold on to me. Wonder what's wrong with me!

"Lithium! Don't want to lock me up inside." Her voice became stronger than the first time as the climax of the song approached. "Lithium! Don't want to forget how it feels without. Lithium." Her voice reached an incredible pitch, very high but surprisingly still sounding amazing. Chills were sent up the spines of every monster in the crowd. "Stay in love with you. Oh! I'm gonna let it go." The audience remained silent for three seconds before erupting in applause. The auditorium shook, and Madison smiled brighter than the sun.

"Thank you!" She said, smiling. For the first time in a long time, she finally felt happy.

* * *

Frankie walked across the lunchroom with her tray in her hands to the table she and her friends always sat at. When she reached the table, she put the tray down and sat in the seat next to Draculaura. "Did you guys get your grades?"

"Yep!" Draculaura cheered, holding a paper that had "100" written in red pen.

"Did we all get hundreds?" Abbey asked.

"I guess so," Cleo said. "I wonder if he was in a good mood. He _never_ gives A's."

"We did go above and beyond," Lagoona said, using chopsticks to pick up her sushi.

Deuce walked over to the table and sat next to Cleo. "Where are the rest of them?" Cleo asked.

"Somewhere in the line. Hopefully not causing the lunch ladies too much strife."

"They know they can sit with us, right?" Frankie asked.

"You really sure you want to agree to that?" Deuce chuckled.

Frankie shrugged. "Why not? I mean, the more the merrier, right?"

"Alright," Deuce said. He motioned to Madison with the same gesture she used to Ianthe the day before. He put the palm of his hand down before squeezing his hand opened and closed, whereby his fingers went up and down. It almost looked as if he were saying "go away" or "back up a little bit" instead of "come here." Madison and Ianthe came to the table first, sitting together across from Deuce. The others followed soon after.

"Are you enjoying it here?" Draculaura asked Madison.

"It's okay," Madison said as she pushed food around her plate. "It's better than it was but doesn't have the same perks as being dead."

"Such as?" Jackson asked.

"Spying." Madison smiled. "Stalking. Watching from afar instead of being put directly in the center." She looked up and leaned in. "Not to mention people keep staring at me," she whispered. "I mean, half the people at this d*mn school are dead. What makes me any different?"

"Maybe the fact that you have a hole in your chest and another in your back," Deuce said.

"Well, Gwen's got a hole in her temple!" Madison said. "And she lost her index finger!"

"Wait, really?" Clawdeen asked. The table looked towards Gwendolyn. She rolled her green eyes and put her left hand on the table. Alas, her pointer finger was completely gone, only a small bump remaining where the bone in her hand would've met with the bone in her finger. Draculaura turned away, feeling nauseous.

"How did that even happen?" Clawd asked.

"Dad," Gwendolyn answered.

"...Oh." Frankie looked down. Clawd growled under his breath.

Ianthe looked at Lagoona's sushi with curiosity. "What is that?"

"Oh, this?" Lagoona asked. "It's sushi. Here." She handed her chopsticks to Ianthe. "Try it." Ianthe attempted to hold the chopsticks like Lagoona had, but it didn't work in her favor, and she settled for a substandard job holding them. She tried picking one up, but it fell. She tried again, and it fell again. She tried thrice, but this time, it fell over on its side. Ianthe stabbed the sushi in the middle with one of the chopsticks. Ashton sprayed water out of his nose as he guffawed at her. He covered his face with a napkin in attempts to hide his red face.

"Same, Ianthe," he laughed.

Ianthe ate the piece and gave the chopsticks back to Lagoona. "It's good, thank you," she said. "Strange, but good."

"It's raw fish," Jason said. Ianthe smiled tightly and uncomfortably as she drank her water, trying to hide the sick feeling in her stomach.

Caleen put her hands into a terra-cotta flower pot. She sunk her fingers into the soft, brown dirt. Her fingers transformed into tree roots as they absorbed the nutrients from the soil. "How did the project go?"

"Great!" Draculaura said. "We all got A's!"

"And we couldn't have done it without you all," Frankie said. Madison rolled her eyes at the cheesiness but still smiled nonetheless.

"What do you even do in that dead place?" Abbey asked.

"Spying, stalking, watching from afar instead of being put directly in the center," Iris quoted. Madison snorted as the others chuckled.

"So today, we're taking y'all to the mall," Operetta said. "Y'all are teenagers, so we're gonna act like it."

"Ooh! And there's a sale at Boo-mingdales," Draculaura said. "I could use a few more outfits."

"Draculaura, you've got hundreds of thousands of outfits that you've only worn once," Lagoona said.

"At least donate a few," Clawdeen said. "Do you even have room in your closet?"

"Of course!" Draculaura said. "There's always room somewhere."

"I still think you should clean it out before you add more," Lagoona said. "You shouldn't have more outfits than the ocean has fish."

Draculaura shrugged. "It's fine. I'll clean it out...eventually." Everyone rolled their eyes.

"What's happening now that we're alive?" Madison asked. The others looked around, not sure what she meant or how to react. "Do we stay here until we die again or is there a time limit that once we get to, we got back?"

"I guess that's up to you," Lagoona said. "Do you want to be here?"

"I don't...I don't know," Madison answered truthfully. "I'm scared. I'm scared I'll have to continue taking medicine. I'm scared I'm still going to have the entire world against me, mocking my every move. I'm scared Dad's going to come back."

"You really shouldn't have to worry about that one." Jason said. He stabbed a piece of chicken with a plastic fork. "He's in prison with a life sentence and no possibility of parole. You shouldn't worry too much."

"Well, I'm still nervous," Madison said. "What if he gets out? What if he tries to find us or Mom? What if-"

"What if, for once, you stopped making a bunch of outlandish comments and actually realized that the most you have to worry about is this," Gwendolyn said, putting her arms out and motioning to the high school around them. "And even if he did get out, we're older and stronger now. Hell, look at the guys. _Just_ the guys. They're all ripped and can take down a bear if they wanted to."

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Ashton said, chuckling as his pride was stroked.

"Either way, them alone can take Dad down. And there's still nine more girls, who aren't exactly weak, sit-back-and-watch, dreadfully sweet, bubblegum b*tches. Well, except Lacie and Evangeline and maybe a little bit Caleen. Anyway, my point is that there's thirteen of us and one of him. We can take him down."

"Tell my anxiety that," Madison said. "But I'll keep that in mind."

Caleen started feeling her mind get foggy. She started getting nauseous and put her head on the table. Gabriel stroked her caramel waves.

"You okay, Calla Lily?" He asked soothingly. She simply groaned in response. Gabriel stood up and lifted her up bridal style before carrying her out of the lunchroom.

"What's wrong with her?" Frankie asked.

"She's a dryad," Deuce said. "After a certain amount of time indoors, she starts getting really sick."

"So this is odd, considering she's only been indoors about ten minutes," Jason mumbled.

"It's the biggest reason why she didn't come to Dad's as often as the others did," Madison said.

"That's a shame," Clawdeen said.

Iris shrugged. "It kept her alive."

"Almost didn't," Kira said as she flipped a page in her book. "That was almost was killed her."

"Wait, what?" Frankie asked. "What happened?"

"It was December in 2000, and we were all planning on celebrating Christmas together at Dad's house," Gabriel said.

"We were watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, and she left the room for whatever reason," Gwendolyn said. "After about ten minutes, we starting getting worried. She hadn't returned, so we went out to look for her. Dad said she left to get air or whatever, and she always did that, so we believed him. She didn't come back at all that night. Or the night after. _Or_ the night after. We finally found her on the fourth day in the basement with bloodshot eyes. She was super weak and sick and coughed up blood and couldn't breathe and was just a total mess."

"Did Mark do that to her?" Clawd growled.

"He didn't have to do anything," Lacie said. "She's like a wind up doll. Put it into motion and sit and watch it happen. All he had to do was lock her inside, and she'd deteriorate herself."

"That's horrible!" Frankie said.

"She's usually pretty good about it though," Roxie said softly.

The table sat in silence for a moment, not sure what to say. Finally, Gabriel entered the lunchroom. He was alone.

"Caleen's still outside," he said. "She feels better now but would still rather stay out there a bit longer just to be safe."

"Does she ever take medicine when this happens?" Clawdeen asked.

"Only herbs none of us know the name of," Gabriel said, sitting down. "She's huge on botanicals."

"She'll be okay though," Lacie said. "She always is."

"But can we take a moment to realize that with us, the world's always against us," Iris said. "What if he does come?"

"Are you serious?" Jason grumbled. "This again?" He slammed his large fist on the table. "As far as he knows, we're all dead. He's not going to look for us. He's going to go drink himself to death."

"Wait," Frankie said, "he thinks _all_ of you are dead?"

"Well, except Caleen, yeah," Jason answered.

"Even Deuce?"

"Well, we all know that if he knew, he'd go after him in a heartbeat. No one is stupid enough or daring enough to tell him," Gwendolyn said. "Not even Lamia."

"Speak of the devil," Ashton said, "there she is now." The table turned around to see Lamia, Seth, and Viperine walking up to the table. Seth and Viperine took a seat next to Gabriel, while Lamia sat on the table itself.

"Where's the hippie?" Lamia asked, looking around the table.

"Outside," Kira said. "She needs the air."

"And we need the break," Ashton said, stabbing a hole into the cap of his water bottle with one of the prongs of the fork. Kira rolled her dark blue eyes and pulled the fork away from him.

"What we need to be doing instead is learning to fit in," she said. "Learn not to make a fool of ourselves after so many years away from this place."

"True, very true," Iris agreed. "But if Frankie can do it, so can we."

"Frankie also had fifteen or sixteen years of information inserted into her brain before she actually awoke," Madison pointed out.

"Yeah," Ianthe said, "we just have the years of watching."

"And most of us are visual leaners," Ashton said. "What's to worry?"

"How about worrying about giving ourselves away?" Kira said. "Dad has friends on every corner. One slip up, and he's informed of our existence."

"There's not really a need to change your identity much though," Deuce said. "No point in dying your hair and investing in colored contacts and changing your entire name. Honestly, just your last name will do."

"And most of us already go by our mom's last name anyway," Gabriel said.

" _Most_ ," Madison pointed out. She looks over at her stepsisters. "I'd suggest switching to Roygip instead of Pallen."

Iris groaned. "I hate Roygip," she said. "I always get those dumb comments like 'Why is it Roygip instead of Roygbiv?' I dunno. Maybe Roygip just sounds better. Maybe blue is close enough to indigo and purple is close enough to violet that it doesn't matter. Ooh! Or maybe- this one's hard to grasp and wrap your mind around, but maybe it's because I don't get a choice in my last name!"

"Either way," Evangeline said, "if it means protection, do it. Why take the risk?"

"Anything that protects us," Madison said, "do it. I don't know how long we'll last here, and I'm not going back by the hands of my father again."

* * *

The bell rang, and Frankie walked with Draculaura and Clawdeen to their next period.

"Do you know where Caleen is?" Frankie asked.

"I thought she went outside," Draculaura said.

"That was an hour ago," Frankie pointed out.

"She could just still be out there," Clawdeen said. "Or maybe she's with one of the others."

"But the others are all inside," Frankie said.

"Why are you worried?" Draculaura said.

"Out of thirteen monsters, she's the only one that lived. She's stronger than she looks and can probably handle whatever's happening," Clawdeen added.

"I don't know," Frankie said. "Maybe it's my gut feeling acting up, but I'm going to go look for her. I mean, it's study hall next period anyway."

"Alright," the werewolf shrugged. "Just let us know what happens."

"Okay, I will." Frankie went through the double doors and left Clawdeen and Draculaura in the hallway.

* * *

Deuce and Cleo walked to their next period together. They held hands as the people in the hallway almost seemed to move out of the way for the power couple.

"How do you feel about them?" Deuce asked. "My siblings, I mean."

"They'll take some getting used to for sure," Cleo answered. "It's scary how much I see you in them. You and Gabriel look the exact same. You've got Ashton's sense of humor and laugh. I know you and Madison look the same, think the same, and are genuinely similar because you're twins- _triplets_ \- but it's still scary. It's insane how similar you are to all if them."

"It's not much different than the Wolf family."

"Except that it is! Everyone has a different mother and-"

"That's not true."

"It's pretty close to it though." They walked in silence for a few feet. "What's scarier is how much you were hiding from everyone."

"Cleo, you know I-"

"I know, I know," Cleo said. She looked at her feet. Her toes were painted teal rather than their usual gold. "It just makes me uncomfortable. But it makes sense the more I think about it."

"Don't think differently of me," Deuce said. He refused to look at her and instead decided on staring straight forward. "I'm the same person I've always been. Don't let this change anything. Don't let _them_ change anything."

"I won't." Cleo said, stopping in the middle of the hallway to look at Deuce. "I promise." Her lips met his, and all of a sudden, they both heard wolf whistling coming from behind them. Deuce broke the kiss to look behind them. Ashton and Iris were cheering. Ashton's index finger and thumb made a circle while the other three fingers stood straight up, and Iris made a thumbs up. Deuce made a middle finger, and the couple kept walking. All the while, Deuce smiled to himself.

* * *

The sun shone down on the mint-skinned monster's arms and cheeks, but the wind made the air comfortable instead of hot. Frankie looked around the courtyard, desperately trying to find the girl with caramel hair. Her gut feeling told her something was up, but she desperately wanted her gut to be wrong.

She walked through the garden and the rows of trees, but to no avail. The dryad was nowhere in sight. Frankie was about to give up hope when she saw a vine of ivy snaking up the side of Monster High. The green vines looked like a ladder, and the monster had no problem climbing up them. The trail of foliage stopped at the roof, and it was there Frankie saw Caleen sitting on the edge. Her legs dangled off the roof, and her hands rested in her lap. She looked out over the land, her meadow green eyes lost in the view.

"Hey," Frankie said softly, gently, "is everything okay?"

Caleen turned around. Her eyes were red. Sad. "Just needed some time to myself is all," she said, turning back around.

Frankie took a seat beside her. "You lost your brothers and sisters. Some of them over a decade ago. Now that they're back, you're hiding up here? What gives?"

"I don't want to talk about that. About Dad."

"So you didn't feel sick because you were inside," Frankie said. "You felt sick because the conversation topic?"

"Maybe." Caleen sighed. "I don't know."

"You know you can talk to me about anything right?" Frankie asked.

"Yeah," Caleen said, "I know. It's why everyone seems to like you. You're nice. Contagiously so."

"Well, then you know you can trust me." Caleen sighed again.

"Don't tell them I told you this," the dryad said. Frankie nodded. "I'm scared this world's going to eat them alive, especially the younger ones. Lacie and Ianthe mostly." Caleen's mind wandered as she looked at the tops of all the trees. "Even the nicest ones, the younger ones, the ones that always seem happy, they're the ones hurting the most." Caleen broke her gaze and turned to look at Frankie. "How much do you know about the siblings?"

"I'm guessing not enough," Frankie said. Caleen lowered her eyebrows in sadness before looking down at her lap.

"Dad isn't our only problem," she said. "We're all fighting. Some with the people around us. Some internally. Some both."

"Are you all this cryptic?" Frankie asked.

"Do you know why Gwendolyn is as protective as she is?" The question caught Frankie off guard, but she shook her head. "It's because of her mom. Amarantha wasn't cut out to be a mother. As she was pregnant and as she raised Gwendolyn, she would ignore her. She'd drink. She'd smoke. She'd go out to parties. She'd get high. She'd bathe herself in sin. Amarantha neglected her to the point where everything Gwen learned she learned herself. How to walk. Cook. Protect herself. Everything. She knows what it's like to grow up without that maternal figure, and she doesn't want the rest of us growing up like that too. She's also the oldest. That means that the responsibility sits mostly on her. She feels like it's her job to be the mom of the group. The serious one. The protective one. The mature one. She's scared to let her guard down for a second because that second will be the time we need her. When Mark aimed the gun at Deuce that night, she took the bullet. She doesn't care what happens to herself because she knows no one else besides us cares about her anyways. But she could't live with herself if one of us got hurt. She's the protector. The mom.

"And Gabriel. He always tries to be perfect. He tries to keep the peace. He tries to be flawless. That's because he knows he's not. He's an angel, which means he's supposed to be perfect and flawless and holy. But he's also a human, which means he's sinful and evil and corrupt. With him, it's an internal battle. He knows he's not good enough. He couldn't be in heaven until he died. His mom had the choice to leave him on earth with someone else or leave heaven and stay with him. She left heaven, and he hates that. He feels like it's his fault she's not happy anymore. He thinks if he's the perfect son, it'll make her happy again. So he tries to be the golden boy to regain her love and approval. He tries to be the role model child in hopes that maybe they can go back to heaven. He's a Christian. He believes in Jesus Christ and accepted him as his Lord and Savior. He knows that's the only way to get into heaven. But something inside him tells him it's not enough and he'll never make it to heaven. The angels look down at him because he has sin running through his veins. He's a sinner by nature and by choice. He cries when he's alone. He cries because he's not good enough and he knows he's not good enough. Some days, Laila can't even look at him because he looks exactly like Mark. He hates himself for that too. He's letting this destroy him, and he tries to cover it up with a smile and false perfection, which makes it even worse.

"And we can't forget about Kira and Iris. Jedrick was a good father and all, but he didn't do anything to stop his wife when they were married. He heard his daughters' cries and left. He wanted to live in silence until he learned that he couldn't. And when he and Marisa finally divorced, he didn't question the judge that said his three-year-old daughters were living with a psychotic drug addict. He shrugged and went on living his life, only coming to get their happy, squirmy selves in the summers and their dead, cold corpses when they finally gave out. And after they died, he cut off all contact He ignored the other two children living there. That wasn't his business. But this isn't about him. This is about his daughters. You know Kira can't see? Nope. Not at all. She can't read anything more than a few inches from her face. She's told Marisa over and over again that she needs glasses. But her mom doesn't listen. She says that she's ugly enough already and glasses will only make it worse. No guy will ever date anyone with glasses. And glasses can be expensive. Why waste the money on them?

"Kira used to be talkative, you know that? Almost as much as her sister. But Marisa beat that out of her. She learned not to open her mouth unless it was necessary. She became a recluse because it was safer that way. She'd only talk to Iris. That was until Deuce and Madison came along. They taught her to speak her mind. She opened up more and more. Progress was made, and Kira learned to laugh. But all that was quickly lost when Iris died. She was back to stage one. And Jedrick did nothing to help. Deuce and Madison tried and tried, but there was no use. She turned to books because they offered a world outside of reality. There, Kira could imagine she was safe. She could pretend that everything was okay. Up until the point where she died too.

"And Iris? She likes to act because she can pretend she isn't herself. She can pretend her mom isn't abusive. She can pretend Mark doesn't beat her. She can pretend all that is a lie. She can drop everything and just be someone else. Someone she likes better than herself. You see, those sisters believed that imagination was better than reality, and they did everything to live in that pretend world they created. Nothing we could do could pull them out of those worlds, so we let them be. They destroyed themselves before Marisa did it for real.

"How about Jason and Ashton? A young mother should be able to relate to her kids' problems. Nope. Fawn was extraordinarily young when she had Jason. She went after Mark herself. No rape involved. Her parents were pissed, but that didn't stop her from returning to him, resulting in Ashton. Fawn's parents never liked her sons. They only put up with them. Jason and Ashton knew they weren't wanted. Fawn still lived with her parents and would often leave her sons alone with them without telling them. She'd go out and party and return completely wasted and higher than a redwood. Jason and Ashton stayed with each other because Fawn was never there and their grandparents weren't their caretakers. Jason would work out constantly to become strong enough that no one would ever stand in their way. He wanted to build up the strength where no one would cross them ever again. He taught Ashton how to run farther and faster than anyone else. He said that if there came a day when people came after them, he needed to know they could run away. Jason planned on taking Ashton with him when he turned eighteen. They were the best of friends. Jason is serious for the same reason as Gwendolyn: he's older and has someone to protect. Ashton is the opposite. He's goofy and loves to laugh because he felt like he couldn't around Fawn and his grandparents. When Ashton died, Jason died with him. He'd work out even more to distract him from the pain. He'd push all the memories of Ashton out of his life. He'd never speak about him. Try to never think about him. No amount of begging could get him back to the boy we once knew. He was planning on committing suicide to rid himself of the pain, but Mark got to him himself that same night.

"But what about Evangeline? She looks happy, right? Wrong. She's a fairy. Fairies are known to be pretty and perfect and flawless. They can't have scars or birthmarks or freckles or anything that denounces them from perfection. It was just like Gabriel. The only difference is that she didn't care. She didn't let it bother her. She didn't let it eat herself alive. Her happiness was the only thing that mattered to her. There were a group of fairies a few years older than her that would always get onto her. They'd bully her, and it wasn't the typical names and rude remarks. They'd scratch at her arms and sink their nails into her skin and tear out her hair and try to rip her wings and push her in mud and destroy her. But Evangeline still didn't care. It wasn't until her funeral that she really changed. Once you die, you can watch the world from inside the other side. The siblings all had the opportunity to watch their funeral, and everyone took it. No one knows why those fairies went to her funeral. No one knows why they cared enough to come. But they did. They talked and laughed through the whole thing. They mocked her and tore at her corpse's wings. They spit on her dead body and on her grave. It was only then that Evangeline broke. She'd hoped they'd realized their wrongs when she died, but it was the opposite. They'd been grateful for her death. The siblings who were still alive at the time and I were all there, and we were irate. Gwendolyn and Evangeline are closer than most people would think. Gwen screamed at them, and when they refuse to listen to a six-year-old's words, she grabbed them by their arms and burned them with only her hands. Third-degree. She ripped out one of the fairy's tongues and burned another's hair out at the root. They never returned and never said a word about her again. But Evangeline was still hurt. She doesn't like to be alone with fairies anymore. She won't even see her mom, Faye, because that means going through the forest and passing through fairies. She lives with Gwen for the time being, and Faye doesn't even know her daughter's alive.

"We already know a lot more about Deuce, but he's still hiding quite a bit. Before Mark and Medusa divorced, he knew something was wrong. He knew fathers shouldn't hurt their children the way Mark did. When Deuce was raped for the first time, he had no idea it was wrong. He knew it hurt like a motherf*cker and that Mark would do more harm if Medusa found out. That night, he woke up to his bed soaked in his blood. He ran to the bathroom and sat in the tub. Blood was everywhere. He screamed and cried, and Medusa found him. She knew immediately and went after Mark. They screamed and fought, and Medusa went into the kitchen and pulled out the largest kitchen knife she owned. She put it up against his neck and pressed it to his skin. Deuce begged her not to kill him, and if he hadn't, Mark would've died. Medusa tried desperately to get custody of her children when she and Mark divorced, but it never happened. Deuce and Madison were always close and relied on each other for survival. They got a ton of a*sbag comments about incest from the students at their school, but they didn't let it faze them. But Mark knew how close they were. He knew he could do more damage to Deuce if he hurt Madison. Every time he hurt them, he always did Deuce first. He'd then lock Deuce in the closet in the basement, so he'd hear Madison cries and screams. And he could do nothing about it. Madison was never in that closet- not once, but Deuce was put in there for hours, sometimes days on end. Did you know that he would cut open his skin and drink his blood when he became so desperate to quench his thirst? Did you know that he'd resort to eating the insects that crawled up the walls of the minuscule closet when he knew if he didn't eat he'd die? Did you know that he was once put into that closet for two weeks straight?

"When Madison died, he just got worse, but we all knew that, right? He tried killing himself. Not once. Not twice. Not thrice. Multiple times. Seth, Viperine, and Lamia had to stay with him until that summer after she died to make sure he didn't hurt himself. He said he saw Madison. She was always beside him. He'd talk to her, and she'd respond. They called him crazy. They said she was dead and couldn't still talk to him. And after the summer, he came back alone. He was empty. A shell. A corpse. He too had died alongside her. Mark hurt him more, but we knew that too. But he tried murdering Mark himself. That's how he got that large scar on his stomach. And Deuce became less and less himself. And we can't forget how Mark began getting arrested more and more. Deuce went to foster home after foster home. Once, he ended up with his aunt on his dad's side. She had a family reunion, and he realized how much the Jaynes couldn't stand monsters. He was dead to them.

"We like to think we know about Madison, but oh no. No, no, no, no, no. Sure, she was abused and hung onto her brother like a lifeline. But she also was a murderer. Yeah, that's right. Madison killed someone. When she was eleven, she and Deuce were separated. They went to different foster homes, and Madison met a boy named Elijah. His parents had died, and he was left with nothing but a picture of them. Eli and Madison became great friends. They found the good in each other that no one else had ever seen in them before. The foster parents hated them. Hurt them. Punished them. Neglected them. So one day, Madison and Elijah wanted to get back at them. Back at the world. Back at everyone who wronged them. They were going to burn the house down.

"One night, when the foster parents were sleeping, Maddie and Eli coated every room of the house in gasoline. They split up, making sure to get each room, before they met back outside. Madison lit a match and threw it on the house. It caught immediately. The foster parents didn't wake up as their bodies burned to death. If that wasn't bad enough, Elijah realized he was missing something. As Madison walked to another side of the house, throwing another lit match on it, Elijah ran back inside the house to get the picture of his parents. He went to the second floor to get the picture, and Madison threw another match at the back side of the house- the side closest to the room he was in. He screamed, and Madison knew she made a mistake. She ran back into the house. Flames engulfed every which way, but she refused to stop trying to find her friend. She was on the stairway when the wall crumbled. She couldn't reach the second floor. He burned to death, and the last thing Madison heard were his screams. She hates herself for that. She gets recurring nightmares of Elijah's screams. Of his body burning to death. She has scars and burns on her feet and legs and hands from when she ran through the burning house. She killed her friend. And she can't live with herself because of it.

"And Ianthe? She didn't live in this world, so what's she got to hide? She's seen her siblings die one by one. She's seen her brother and sister get raped. She learned by seeing everything happen to the people she loved. She grew up hearing everyone say she didn't exist. Deuce and Madison would say they were triplets. They'd talk to Ianthe the same way Deuce would talk to Madison after she died. And everyone would yell at them. Say they were liars. Say that Ianthe didn't exist. She grew up knowing she was worth less than her siblings because no one believed she was real. So she wanted to prove she was. She'd lie and cheat her way into making them believe. She'd control them from inside the other world. She'd change their mind and control their thoughts and make them believe things they didn't. One day, she put one of them into a coma. He didn't wake up for two months, and Ianthe was petrified she'd killed him. He finally woke up, but to this day, Ianthe refuses to talk about it.

"What about Lacie and Roxie? They were both young when they died, so they should be fine, right? Their mother, Ziarre, favored Lacie by a landslide. So when Lacie died, that's when the downfall occurred. At her young age, Roxie hadn't yet grasped the concept of death. She'd constantly ask her mother when Lacie was coming back. And every day, Ziarre would tell her daughter that Lacie was dead, which meant she was never coming back. One day, Ziarre snapped, and when Roxie asked, she kicked her out of the apartment, telling her to come back inside when she learned how to be a good girl. With that, she locked the door. It was December, and it was freezing out. Roxie knew she couldn't stay but didn't know where to go. So she walked to Mark's house, a risky move since he was still married to and living with Medusa, who didn't yet know about his infidelity. After about thirty minutes, a man found her and thankfully didn't do anything to her. He brought her to Mark's house. She knocked on Deuce's window, and he let her in. She slept in Madison's room. Ziarre found her the next day and was fuming. She locked her in the attic and didn't let her out until a week after. She didn't give her food or water. Like Deuce, Roxie ate the insects that lived in the attic. Mostly silverfish, spiders, and beetles. There was a leak in the roof, and rainwater dripped down into the attic, which is where Roxie drank from. When Ziarre finally let Roxie out, she pretended as if nothing happened. She began calling Roxie by her sister's name. But if Roxie did something wrong, Ziarre called her by her real name and screamed at her until her throat was sore. Roxie shied away from everything she used to be. She didn't want to be confused with her sister anymore. She hated that her mom was pretending that she was Lacie to hide the fact that her favorite daughter had died. Roxie was at Deuce and Madison's new house in Oregon when she said she wanted to dye her hair.

"She went from being the perfect girl with blonde hair to the haggard daughter with black locks. Like Lacie, she used to only know how to make clouds that were fluffy and white as snow. She knew how to make a gentle wind and light. But she abandoned that alongside her looks. She learned to make storm clouds and harsh winds and rain. She taught herself how to make tornadoes. That's why she always practices making tornados; she's afraid she'll lose the technique if she stops practicing. She's no longer like Lacie, and when Ziarre noticed this, she stopped calling her Lacie. But she also started pretending she didn't exist. She'd only talk to Roxie if Roxie asked her something. When Roxie died, she and Lacie saw Ziarre remove them from her life completely. They saw her get rid of all the pictures of them from the house. She painted their bedroom walls, over the pencil markings of their heights and over the handprints they made with paint. She sold their furniture and toys and buried the memory of them alongside them. It stung, but Roxie and Lacie refused to dwell on it longer than they had to. Roxie pretends like it doesn't bother her, but it does. And Lacie is completely hurt and betrayed by it. They too haven't seen their mother since becoming alive.

"But what about me? There's got to be something, right? Being the only one to live isn't some great accomplishment. It isn't some award or trophy or medal to be worn around. It hurts. It hurts knowing the only reason I managed to survive was because I wasn't there for them like the others were. I couldn't be. I became sick and weak when I did. I tried my best to help whenever I could, but I couldn't stay with them like the others could. I tried to be there for Deuce when Madison died. He went to a foster home that locked him outside. I got him food and medicine. When he went to the next foster home, I helped him escape. But I couldn't do much more than that. It was early March when I had a dream that Deuce died. I ran to the hospital, and I found him in the morgue. That was the worst feeling of my life. He was unrecognizable. He was a mess. And I...I'd never felt so alone. The tree spirits aren't my family; _they_ are. It hurt. I was the last one. There was no one that could help me now. No one would help me because I wasn't there. I wasn't there when he died. I wasn't there when he needed someone. I wasn't there when he needed protection. I wasn't there. I felt darkness. Loneliness. I felt cold. I was the last. I was alone. Alone. Alone. _Alone_."

Frankie was in shock. There was nothing she could say to make the situation any better. Nothing would make it hurt any less. The damage had been done, and now, all she had to do was let it heal.

"I'm...I'm sorry," Frankie said.

Caleen looked down at her lap. Tears welled in her eyes. The saltwater stung them, so she blinked and released them. They fell down her petal-soft cheeks. And she was silent. "They're okay now," Caleen barely whispered. "Why can't I be?"

* * *

"How dare he take the microphone from me?" grumbled Toralei as she stepped into the brick building. "It's my d*mn project too!" After checking in with the lady at the counter, she walked to the elevator. She smashed the button, her claws scratching off the paint. She screamed and hit the elevator's cold wall with her closed fist. "It's not fair! Mr. Rotter won't even let me make up the grade!" She took a breath, trying to clear her mind as the elevator rose higher and higher. Finally, it reached the desired floor, and Toralei stepped out. Her wedges clicked on the white tile as she stomped her way across the hall. She stopped about midway through and turned to look past the bars at a man with mousy brown hair and striking green eyes. His cleft chin was hidden behind stubble, and his muscles were large. He was definitely well-built. He looked up at the feline, his green eyes hard and cold.

"Your son isn't the only one alive," Toralei said. She shoved a bobby pin into the lock. "Your daughter is too. They all are. Every last one of them." She twisted the pin and pushed the door open, but not far enough to gain attention. "And I want Deuce to pay."

Mark Jayne grinned. "And he will."

* * *

 **Oooh! Cliffhanger!**

 **I hope the long wait was worth it. I know this chapter isn't as long as ones prior, but I didn't want it to be boring.**

 **The song used in this story was** **"Lithium" by Evanescence**

 **The song title for this chapter is "You" by Breaking Benjamin.**


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Calm Before the Storm is a Deafening Silence

* * *

 **I do not own Monster High or any of the songs used in the making of this story.**

* * *

 _Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess._

 _Well, that isn't exactly true. She wasn't a princess. Rather, she was a daughter of a primordial sea god and goddess. But she was beautiful. Stunning. Said to be more beautiful than Aphrodite herself. Until that was ripped from her when a cowardly god couldn't take no for an answer._

"Ugh!" Madison tore the page in half before crumbling it into a paper ball. Deuce walked into her bedroom. The red walls were lit by a candle on her dresser. The sheets hung off the bed like leaves off a weeping willow. He sat on the black bed beside Madison, who had her head in her hands and a notebook in her lap.

"Is this the thing Bloodgood is making you do?" Deuce asked, laying his head on hers. Their snakes entangled, his purposefully knotting hers.

"Yeah," Madison groaned. She put her hands down and lifted her head. Deuce moved to the side a bit to allow her to put her head on his shoulder. "This is stupid. Why do we even have to do this?"

"All new students have to do it," Deuce answered. "She likes to know culture and life stories and stuff."

"Well, it's still stupid."

"You don't have to write an essay. She lets you do whatever. Poem. Narrative. She'll let you do a song."

"I don't want to do it at all."

"Tough luck." Madison smacked Deuce with a black throw pillow.

The door opened again. This time, Ianthe walked through. She sat on the other side of Madison and looked down at the notebook. "Is this the writing thing?"

"Yeah," Madison said. "Did you start yours yet?"

"Yep," Ianthe said, purposely popping the 'p' at the end. "Finished it a while ago."

"How?" Madison exclaimed. "I can't even get started!"

"Well, maybe you're trying too hard," Ianthe said.

"Yeah," Deuce agreed, "you're probably just overthinking it."

"Well," Madison said, "excuse me for not knowing how to start this d*mn thing."

"Engage," Ianthe said. "Hook them in."

"That's exactly why I _can't_ get started."

"It'll come to you eventually," Ianthe said. She played with the black sheets on the bed, moving the fabric around with her fingertips.

"Are you staying in Madison's room?" Deuce asked.

"Kinda," Ianthe answered. "Mom's letting me stay in the guest room until it gets redecorated to my liking. But I spend more time here than there." Deuce nodded. Ianthe stood up, brushing off whatever was on her thighs. "I feel like we've been here forever. We should go out."

"To...?" Madison raised an eyebrow. She was desperate to get away from the assignment although she knew it needed to be done. What was a little procrastination?

"Anywhere. Where are the others?"

"Probably playing Go Fish or something like the eight-year-olds they are," Madison said, standing up with her.

"I'm down with that," Ianthe said. "You'd think after a decade I'd want to finally get away, but now, I'm bored."

* * *

Lagoona clicked her pen. She didn't usually get nervous like this, but today was already more different than usual. What was one more unfamiliar thing? _Click. Click. Click. Click._ She'd hoped that the pen would help get her mind off of it. _Click. Click. Click._ But today, it just. _Click._ Wasn't. _Click._ Helping.

"Lagoona!" The water monster looked up. Abbey stared at her with cold eyes. "You wake sleeping yak with click of pens. Click click click. Dah! Gets annoying!" She took a seat next to the desk beside her friend. "What is wrong?"

"I'm just nervous."

"About?"

"Gil. He hasn't spoken to me since we presented the project."

"He might just be busy."

"But he tries to make time. He always has! What's different?"

"Well, there is few more faces than we are used to."

"Wait, do you think he likes one of them?!" Lagoona's eyes widened to the size of saucers.

"No," Abbey said, "I don't think so. He probably just tired. Do not be overthinking this."

"Alright..." Lagoona sighed. "I'm just nervous...I guess."

"You be fine."

"I hope so."

With that, Abbey stood up. She held her hand out for Lagoona to grab. Lagoona accepted it, and Abbey helped pull her to her feet. "Nothing to worry about. Come. Let us go find the others."

* * *

In his opinion, there was nothing wrong with solitude. It was nice to get away from the rest of the world. It gave you time to dwell in your thoughts. It gave you time to think.

As he bench pressed one hundred and eighty pounds, he let himself think about Caleen. He knew something was wrong. She was becoming so distant, and she felt that something was wrong. Her gut feeling was _never_ wrong.

"Jason!" He startled himself so badly that he almost dropped the weight on himself. He put the weight up before looking up to see Ashton staring at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Jason said, running his fingers through his chocolate brown buzzcut.

"Okay, good." Ashton grinned at his brother. It was a smile that almost made Jason want to smile back. Almost. "We're all meeting up in the student lounge. Care to join us?"

"I don't have an option, do I?"

"Nope. Come on." Jason sighed. There was only one person he let drag him around like this. He was wrapped around Ashton's finger. But they were brothers. He had to protect him, right?

But both of them knew that never stopped Jason from letting the younger one know when push came to shove.

* * *

 _"They're not taking both of you." The words hit like a bag of bricks against her chest. Her heart ached, and she felt her legs wobble, her knees turning to jello._

 _"What do you mean they aren't taking both of us?" Madison asked. Her voice wavered. Shaky. All the pain she'd spent so many years hiding started to seep through each crack in her voice._

 _"You're being sent to different homes."_

 _"But we'll still see each other, right?" His voice was calm on the outside, but she knew he was panicking. "I mean, how far apart will we be?"  
_

 _"Don't count on a weekly visit, let's just say that." Deuce nodded. He seemed to understand. But she didn't. She couldn't. After so many years, they were being ripped from each other's grasp._

 _And there was nothing either could do._

"Madison?" She blinked, coming out of her trance. Deuce waved a hand in front of her face. "You alright there?" She put her hand to her head. It was warmer than usual.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a flashback or something, I guess." The older gorgon knitted his eyebrows.

"You've been taking your medicine right?"

"Yeah, of course." The two sat in silence for a few minutes before Deuce turned back to look at his sister.

"Maddie, you know you can talk to me about anything?" She nodded. "Okay," he said, "just making sure you know."

"I know, I know," Madison said.

"I'm open as well," Ianthe said with a smile. "Anytime you need me."

Madison smiled. "Thanks, Violet."

* * *

Scarah smiled. The project had been grading, and those who actually worked had received grades better than she thought they would. As she walked down the hallway to the library, she felt a barrier, like a glass wall had been put in from of her. Almost immediately, Invisi Billy appeared, grinning madly. He lifted the book out of her arms.

"What's this?"

"Give that back!" Scarah stood on her toes, but to no avail. Inivisi Billy raised his arm and straightened it. There was no way she could reach it.

"Ghosts versus Spirits: Life After Death," Invisi Billy read. "That's not the kind of books you're into."

"I know, I know." Scarah pulled the book out of her boyfriend's hand. "I just figured it's probably something I need to know about."

"Mmmhmmm," Invisi Billy said. "Yeah, it's really because the new students, isn't it?"

"No!" He raised an eyebrow. "Okay, maybe? A little?" He smirked. "Oh, all right. It is."

"Why though? They're just normal students like us."

"I know that, but don't you think it's interesting? How they died and were brought back to life? But not as ghosts like most usually are. It simply adds to the mystery of it all."

"Scarah, baby, I don't think you should venture too deep into this. This isn't exactly the best welcoming tactic in the world, if you know what I mean."

"I know, but I'm just curious." Scarah sighed. "I just want to know how it's possible."

"We're monsters," Invisi Billy laughed. "Most of what we do here should be impossible. But here we are, breaking those rules of physics every day." He kissed her forehead. "Just don't get too caught up in this."

"I won't," the banshee said. "I promise."

* * *

Caleen sat under the tree, her back pressed to the bark with just enough force to leave an imprint on her skin. A cup of tea rested in her palms. The sun warmed her toes, which were just barely peaking through from the shade of the tree. A squirrel climbed up to her, nuzzling her lap and stealing a cracker before disappearing off into the woods.

"Caleen!" She turned to see another dryad walking towards her. She was a girl of Japanese descent. Her straight, brown hair matched her eyes, and her skin was pale as ivory. She wore a crown of cherry blossoms atop her head. Caleen placed the teacup on the grass before standing up to meet the girl. Sakura reached for Caleen's hands, holding them gently in her own. Her skin was cool and contrasted against the eucalyptus dryad's. "Shajarah is coming to get you within minutes," Sakura said, her voice high and childlike. "Methuselah is almost ready for you."

"Okay, thank you, Sakura," Caleen said.

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked, knitting her eyebrows in concern.

"I'm worried," Caleen said. "I've been worrying for days now."

"It's probably nothing."

"If it was nothing, the feeling wouldn't last this long. My gut feeling's never been wrong before."

"Well," Sakura said, "whatever it is, I hope everything works out okay in the end." Caleen nodded, and Sakura smiled, squeezing the girl's hands before dropping them. She turned away and left wordlessly. Caleen sat back to the grass and pulled a leaf out of her tea. She closed her eyes and tilted her head to look upward, resting it on the tree. Something was wrong. She knew it. Yet, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. She often didn't go to the old woman for help, but this time, it was necessary.

She'd lost track of time. Her eyes remained closed as she breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. Meditation always seemed to clear her thoughts. She didn't know how long she'd lasted until she felt a tapping on her shoulder. She opened to see Shajarah, a beautiful Arabic dryad girl with dark skin and black hair with bangs that were brushed to the side. Her brown eyes always burned into the souls of all she looked at. Maybe that was why Methuselah chose her as her assistant.

Shajarah led Caleen to a large oak with branches that stretched to the ends of the Earth as if they were Mother Nature bringing her children in for a hug. The towering tree was a skyscraper amongst the others. It had an opening like a doorway, and the entrance was covered in vines like beaded doorway curtains. Shajarah left Caleen at the entrance to wait, and the brown-haired girl used the time to take a few deep breaths.

She never saw Methuselah for anything. If she did, it always was dire. Caleen felt sick as she remembered the last time she saw the old woman. It was just before her fifteenth birthday. She'd gotten a dream that Deuce had died at the hands of their father. The dream felt so real, so lifelike, that she couldn't stop her feet from running to the woman to see. Methuselah read the girl her vision, which was of a dark, enclosed space and surgical equipment. She told her to go to the hospital to see for sure, and Caleen had no choice but to oblige. It was there that she realized he had. He'd died 7:38 at night, the same night she'd received her dream. Guilt washed onto her, down her skin and staining it as if she were showering in blood. She felt nauseous, her mind spun as she wrapped her mind around it. He was dead. He was dead. _He was dead_.

She was the last one left. It was her, and her alone. There were thirteen of them, and she was the only one still remaining.

And the only reason she was alive was because she wasn't there. She wasn't there for them. She wasn't there when they needed her. She never showed up.

If she had, she would have already been dead too.

She deserved to die.

She deserved to rot in the ground.

She deserved to have her bones buried in the dirt.

She.

Deserved.

To.

Die.

The vines of the entrance were pushed out of the way as Acacia, another dryad walked through. Ants crawled up and down her dark skin, and Caleen backed up without realizing it. "Come in!" An old woman called. Caleen wiped her sweaty palms on her dress before pushing through the thin, dangly vines.

The old woman sat in lotus position on a colorful mat of feathers and grass. Her brown skin was as twisty and knotted as the tree she belonged to. Her white hair was piled atop her head into a messy bun, one that looked so perfect, as if she'd spent hours on it. Her eyes were brown and set deep into her sockets. She was old as could be, but somehow still seemed youthful in her spirit.

Caleen knelt in front of her. Methuselah dripped her hand into a pot of honey before pressing it onto the younger dryad's forehead. Caleen closed her eyes, feeling the honey drip down, washing her skin of its sins. Methuselah nodded, and Caleen settled on the red and gold mat before the elder.

"Ah, Caleen," Methuselah said, clasping her hands together. "We haven't had a conversation like this in years."

"Almost two," Caleen said. Her voice was hoarse, and the words came out as a choked whisper.

Methuselah placed a golden hand on Caleen's. "That boy is no longer hurting, china doll."

"I know, I know," Caleen said, resting her head in her hands. "I've come for a different reason."

Methuselah nodded and reached into a small terra-cotta pot on her left and took a handful of dried marigold petals. She sprinkled them in a circle around the two of them before dipping her finger into oil into another bowl, dripping the liquid inside the circle as well. She rested her hands on her kneecaps before taking a breath and closing her eyes.

"I see a lock and a key," she said. Her eyes flickered underneath her lids. "The lock is rusted and isn't meant to be unlocked, but it is."

Caleen felt her heart catch in her stomach. She already had a feeling what this was going to mean.

"Clawed hands unlock it, but do not pull it open. It's done to fool the others. She leaves." She takes another breath. Her hands shake a bit. "It's dark now. The lock is torn off. The hands are bigger than the ones prior. Masculine and human."

"Is it possible to zoom out?" Caleen whispered, to scared to know the truth.

Methuselah nodded. "I see a man. His eyes are emeralds. But they're cold." Caleen's hands began to shake. "He appears to be looking for someone."

Caleen felt her breath escape her throat. Methuselah opened her eyes, and Caleen put her face in her hands. What started as silent tears turned into full-on sobs that wracked her body. She cried until her throat was raw and her cheeks were red with emotion.

"He's coming back." Caleen looked up at the old woman. "He's coming back, isn't he?"

Methuselah looked at Caleen with sad eyes. "It appears that way, yes." Caleen cried harder, shaking violently. Methuselah rested a hand on her back. "It is okay, flower. He doesn't have to find you. Stay here, and he'll never hurt you."

"I can't stay here and hide," Caleen said. "I've done that my entire life. It's the only reason I survived and my siblings didn't." She wiped the tears from her eyes with shaky hands. "I can't hide anymore. I need to fight."

* * *

Holt strolled down the hallway, enjoying the fact that it was he who was out instead of Jackson. Ever since some lame project in Mr. Rotter's, he hadn't exactly gotten a chance to stretch out and move. Jackson had been so wrapped up in whatever the assignment was that he pushed Holt out of his list of priorities. But that didn't matter, since Holt was out now, calling the shots as he pleased.

As he turned his head to look at one of the clocks on the wall, he noticed a flash of blue and purple. He rotated completely and saw it was a set of wings. _Odd_ , he thought, _I didn't know any fairies went here._

Curiosity got the best of him, and he found himself peeking through the doorway to find the fairy girl sitting next to a girl with rainbow horns and wavy, blue hair. As he continued to gaze around the room, he noticed all sorts of monsters he'd never recognized. A brunette with the same rainbow horns as the other girl. A set of air-elemental twins, yet one with blonde hair and one with black hair. An angel boy. A demon girl. Two satyr brothers. _How have I never noticed them before?_

He looked around, trying to find anyone who could answer his questions. Finally, he settled on a certain centaur-harpy hybrid. "Did we get exchange students or something?" Holt asked Avea.

She shook her head. "No. Don't you remember?" Holt raised an eyebrow. "They're Deuce's siblings. They're alive." With that, she walked away.

"I didn't know he had siblings," Holt said to himself. "What did I miss?"

* * *

 _She walked up to the porch of the two story house. It was quaint and looked like a house one would find in a child's book. But she knew at a young age a house rarely meant a home. No need to get her hopes up._

 _The beige vinyl siding had the smallest smears of dirt caked into it, and the grass was freshly mowed. The bushes were recently trimmed, and the flowers weren't surrounded by weeds. Immediately, she knew this wasn't a house where neglect would be the main problem._

 _There were two people standing at the door. The first was a tall man with brown, curly hair and hazel eyes. The second was a woman with mousy hair and a face like a bird. Their features were sharp. Both were intimidating. She started to drag her feet, but the social workers kept pushing her forward._

 _She stopped at their feet. They gazed down upon her with tight smiles._

 _"Madeline Jayne, is it?" the woman asked. Her voice was stern and slightly raspy._

 _"It's Madison," she corrected._

 _"Right, of course." She grimaced slightly, and Madison saw her muscles tense. "You can put your stuff inside. There's a room waiting for you upstairs. You'll have to share. I hope you don't mind." Madison shook her head. The two stepped out of the way to allow her to enter the house, and they began to talk with the social workers. The staircase was easy to find, and she had no choice but to go up it. She entered the first door on the right, one with two twin beds and beige walls. A single window stood upright in the middle of the wall._ _She dropped her bag on one of the beds and sat down. She ran her fingers through her green snakes, leaning back onto the mattress. It was hard and uncomfortable. The entire house seemed foreign; this room was nothing different._

 _Almost immediately, a boy entered the room. He was about her age, maybe younger. He had dirty blonde hair and hypnotizing blue eyes. He stopped when he saw the gorgon in the room._ _"I didn't expect to see someone else in here," he said. "Certainly not a girl."_

 _Madison scoffed. "Why not a girl?"  
_

 _"Adults have a way of keeping people of the opposite sex far apart," he said. "Touching your pinkie nail results in you getting_ _pregnant. Can't have that now, can we?" Madison laughed. She hadn't meant to so quickly, but it slipped. He settled beside her. "So what's your name?"_

 _"Madison," she said. She pointed to the snakes that inched towards the boy's face. "As you can tell, I'm a gorgon."_

 _"Elijah," the boy said. He pointed to his own hair. "As you can tell, I'm not." Madison laughed again. "Nah, I'm a human. Pretty boring. I'd kill to be a monster."_

 _"It isn't all fun and games," Madison said. "People treat you like you're worth less than them because you look different."_

 _"It's because we're jealous we don't have powers. But humans treat each other like that anyway, so what's new?" Elijah leaned back. "So what brings you here?"_

 _"My dad and stepmom got arrested on neglect charges."_

 _"And your ma?"_

 _"Not allowed to see her."_

 _"Man, that blows." She looked towards the boy. His eyes were full of sympathy, not pity. She respected him for that._

 _"What about you?" Madison asked. "Why are you here?"_

 _"My parents died when I was six. Been tossed around the system like a sick game of hot potato since then." He stood up and walked to the other twin bed before reaching under the mattress and pulling out a picture. He returned to the gorgon, showing her the picture. It was of a beautiful couple. The woman was in her wedding dress, a thin veil draped over her stunning face. The man was in a tuxedo. Their faces glowed with happiness, without a care in the world. "This is all I have left of them."_

 _"Life always seems to give the hurting ones_ _the bad portion of the crops, huh?" Madison said. Elijah laughed. It sent chills down Madison's arms, yet it warmed her heart._

 _"Ain't that the truth."_

Madison gasped, cracking her head on the roof of the car. Deuce looked over at her, eyes wide.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his voice slightly more paranoid than usual.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she said, rubbing her head with her hand.

"Mock, are you sure?" Ianthe said. "You don't look too good."

"I'm fine," she said. "I promise." She looked out the window at the scenery that was quickly fleeting. "I promise."

* * *

Scarah found herself in the library with the book. She couldn't find the peace and quiet with everyone's thoughts buzzing around her like angry hornets, so she decided on the silent room that no one visited unless they had a project.

Sitting in one of the plush chairs in the corner, she flipped the book open to the first page. She wanted answers to the mystery that was the existence of the Jayne children.

Each of them was dead. _Was_ , she told herself. _They're all alive now. They should't be, but they are._

Their deaths were violent, and most of their bodies ended up destroyed. Torn apart, bloody, electrocuted, burnt- you name it. Whatever Ghoulia had must've healed them as well as bring them back to their original state.

 _But if they're healed, how do some of them still have their wounds?_ Scarah thought. _If they're truly healed, Madison shouldn't have the holes in her chest and back. Gwendolyn shouldn't have the bullet wound in her temple. They should be fine._

She put her head in her hands. It was becoming too much. She didn't even know why she cared so much; she never had before.

She just hoped she didn't worry herself over it. She promised Invisi Billy.

* * *

Holt went home to his and Jackson's bedroom. There were traces of both of them inside. There were books and records. A set of encyclopedias and a stereo. Posters of sci-fi movies that bored Holt to death and bands that made Jackson want to scream. Everything was a mixture of their personalities and was left exactly how Holt remembered it.

As he walked around the room, he noticed something he hadn't before: a notepad. He raised an eyebrow and picked it up, flipping through the pages and skimming through Jackson's chicken scratch.

There were names he didn't recognize, as well as descriptions of each said person. There was a page for each person. There were pages for two prisoners, supposedly named "Mark Jayne" and "Marisa Pallen." Following their descriptions was a list of crimes. Holt knitted his eyebrows. _Why would Jackson write this? He doesn't care about this stuff. Was this the project?_

He continued flipping through the pages, reading the names that went with each. Gwendolyn. Gabriel. Jason. Iris. Evangeline. Finally, he stopped on a page. He couldn't do anything but stare at the name etched across the top.

Madison Gorgon.

* * *

"Do you have any nines?"

"Uh...no. Go Fish."

"F*ck! Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. I don't have any nines."

"You're lying to me."

"I wouldn't lie to you."

"He wouldn't lie in general."

"Shut up, Ashton."

"I still don't have any. Pick up a card."

"Kira, is he lying?"

"No."

"You didn't even pick your head up to look!"

"When has Gabriel ever lied about something insignificant like a game of-"

"Exactly. He never has. Which is exactly why we wouldn't expect it and it'd be a sneak attack, so check his d*mn cards."

Kira rolled her eyes. It was times like these when the family was together and still felt apart. Caleen's anxiety ate into the others. When the dryad had a gut feeling, that feeling was rarely wrong. The others knew but could do nothing. In an attempt to get their minds off it, they decided on a card game.

"Gwen," Evangeline said, swallowing a bite of the apple in her hand, "It isn't that big of a deal." Yet, Gwendolyn looked at Kira pointedly, and the brunette checked the cards.

"He doesn't have any nines."

With that, Gwendolyn ripped the five cards out of Gabriel's hand. She looked at their paper faces before glaring at the angel.

"LIAR! You do have a nine!"

"No, Gwendolyn, that's a six."

"No, it's not!"

"Gwen..." Iris peeked out from behind the demon, looking at the cards from behind her shoulder, "it's upside down." Gwendolyn flipped the desk over. The cards fell every which way, scattering across the floor. She sat back down and crossed her arms.

"This game is rigged," she said simply. Ashton scoffed.

The door suddenly flew open. The cards on the floor blew from the breeze the door caused. Madison stomped in, Deuce on her tail. Caleen ran in after them. She closed the door behind them before looking to her siblings. Their green eyes were all struck with panic.

"Bad news."

"Is there any good news to go along with it?" Ashton asked. Madison pushed through the others to stand in front of the satyr. She grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

"Now isn't the time for jokes!" She cried.

"Whoa, chill, chica, chill," Ashton said. "What happened?"

"What happened? _What happened?_ Well, I'll tell you what happened. What happened is Dad's loose."

Evangeline choked on her apple. She coughed and coughed, but it was lodged in her throat. Jason ran up behind and began doing the Heimlich maneuver. It came out and hit Iris's foot.

"Ew, keep that slimy thing off me."

"Is she okay?"

"Mouth to mouth."

"Ew! Ashton! That's like, incest."

"Lacie, that's not-"

"Guys!" Deuce said, panic evident in his voice. "We're serious."

"Dad escaped prison!" Caleen yelped.

"How?" Gabriel all but shrieked. "That-that should be impossible!"

"Anything's possible," Roxie mumbled. "Especially in this family."

"The point is that we need to do something about it," Madison said. She paced back and forth, rolling her foot across the tile with each step. Heel. Arch. Ball. Toe. Heel. Arch. Ball. Toe. "Otherwise we could go out again. And this time, it won't be as easy as last time."

"Expect a Deuce level," Caleen whispered. "Minus the eight hours."

"Although he might push it that long," Deuce said. "Maybe longer." He sighed shakily. "I can't do that again."

Caleen turned to Madison, her meadow eyes sad. "I know you hate this," she said. "But I think we need to ask for help."

"NO!" Gwendolyn shouted. The others turned to look at her. Her green eyes were wide, popping against the black of her eyes. "There's thirteen of us plus Lamia, Seth, and Viperine. We don't need the help."

"But we do need the backup," Ianthe said.

"Caleen's right," Deuce said. "This isn't a battle. This is a war." He turned to look at Madison. "And we need an army to win it."

* * *

"Hey!" Heath huffed as he scurried down the hallway, chasing after the tall, cloaked figure. "W-wait up!"

"Heath Burns," Mr. Rotter said, turning around to face the fire elemental. "For the last time, there is no way to make up the final. The grade still stands. Now, if you excuse me, I have important matters to attend to." With that, Mr. Rotter turned away, walking down the corridor and leaving Heath panting in the middle of the floor. He knitted his eyebrows as he felt his stomach twist. _Mom is going to kill me._

He walked past the lockers, dragging his hand along them and feeling the cold metal brush against his fingertips. He was already failing the class. He had hoped that the final could bring his grade up to at least a C, but the time slipped his mind. There was no way the grade was coming up now.

Suddenly, Heath was pulled from his thoughts and from the hallway. He felt something grab at his wrist, and before he knew it, he was yanked into a classroom. The lights were off, and all he could see was a dark figure, shorter than him with long fingers. The figure closed the door and flicked on the lights. Her orange hair swung as she turned to look at the fire elemental.

"Toralei?" Heath said. "What are you doing here? And what do you want?"

"I just need an itsy bitsy favor to ask of you," she purred. She stepped closer to him, laying her palm flat against his chest. He could feel her red nails stab him through his shirt. "Is that so hard to ask?"

"Well, I, um," Heath stuttered. He gently grabbed the wrist attached to the hand on his chest. He pulled it down, trying to get her off him. "I don't think I should-"

"Oh, but I know you're failing Mr. Rotter's class," Toralei said. She turned around so her back faced him. He couldn't see her smirk. "I can get that grade up if you only help me first."

He knew it was a bad idea, but that didn't stop him from perking up at the thought. "What do you need me to do?" Toralei reached into her pocket, pulling out a small, blue capsule. She put it in Heath's open palm. "What is this?" Heath inspected the blue pill, moving it around gently within his hand. "Viagra?"

"No! It's not Viagra!" Toralei rolled her eyes and looked back at Heath, who had his eyes glued to the pill. "It's medicine. I just need you to slip into that one girl's drink."

"Wait, what girl?"

"I don't know. Deuce's sister."

"Which one?"

"What?"

"What do you mean 'which one'? There's like thirty."

"The one with the colored hair."

"A lot of them have colored hair."

"The green hair, Heath! The green hair!"

"Two of them have-"

"HEATH!" Toralei yelled. Heath stepped back immediately. He pressed his back to the brick wall. "The one he cares about most. Madeline or something."

"Madison?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Put this in her drink. It'll dissolve." Heath looked closer at the pill, worry building up in his chest. Toralei noticed the rising guilt. "Heath, it's fine. I promise."

"What does it do?"

"It's just a pill. You know how she takes all those antidepressants and anxiety medicine and stuff, right?" Heath nodded. "Well, it's just like that. Just don't let anyone know you have it. Don't get caught with it. I won't bail you out."

"Alright. I'll do it."

"Don't let me down."

"I won't." Heath slipped the pill into his pocket before exiting the room.

Toralei grinned, her sharp pearly whites forming a tight, gruesome grin. _Hook, line, and sinker._

* * *

The earth felt soft against his feet, and he'd wished he'd had the time to get some better shoes before making this trip. The tree branches sliced against his limbs, and the leaves brushed against his cheeks. No one usually ventured into these woods, but he still felt nervous. Bright orange wasn't exactly a color that camouflaged into surroundings very well. What he needed was a shot or two to calm his nerves.

 _No_ , he thought. _I need to get this over with first. Then, I can have a drink_.

He heard the crackling of leaves, and he froze. Didn't blink. Didn't breathe. His heart pounded in his chest. _They found me_.

A deer hopped out from behind the trees, staring at the man with wide eyes. He gritted his teeth in anger and decided it was fine to move. It took only seconds for the animal to disappear into the foliage.

He knew they were looking for him. And he didn't care. Not yet. He just needed to finish the job and go back to get Marisa. Then, they'd move a few states, far enough where the cops no longer recognized them. They could go under the radar. Live where no one knew they existed.

But what he really needed was a beer.

* * *

Ghoulia pushed her cat-eye glasses up as she continued to let her fingers dance across the laptop's keyboard. She'd been going at it for what felt like hours, trying to find something- _anything_ \- that could help with the current mission at hand. It was a life or death situation, and she knew it could cost people their lives. But as Cleo breathed down her neck, she continued to work, trying not to get distracted from the hushed chatter and the warm breath.

"Did you find anything yet?" Cleo asked. Her breath brushed Ghoulia's ear, and the zombie felt herself shiver.

"No, not yet," Ghoulia moaned. "We still have plenty of databases to cover, so don't expect the answer to be right in front of our faces."

"Maybe it is," Cleo said, "and we're just overthinking it." She chipped off the red nail polish on her thumbnail with her teeth. She turned to look towards Deuce, who was paler than usual and leaning back against a wall, more for support than for leisure. Seeing his anxiety made her turn away in an instant.

"How could he just...leave?" Frankie asked. "Isn't a jail supposed to be crowded with policeman and jailers and-"

"And people that don't know how to do their job correctly?" Jason cut off. "Yes, of course."

"But what a time to escape," Gwendolyn hissed. "It's not coincidence that he _just so happened_ to leave prison the second we left the Other Side. Someone must've told him."

"I don't understand," Draculaura said, her usually cheery voice unnaturally troubled. "Who would do this?"

"Someone who doesn't like us," Madison said. She stopped pacing around the room to look at Draculaura with wide, emerald eyes. "Pretty long list. I don't know how far we can narrow it down."

"We have somewhere to start," Kira said. "Yet, everyone who despised us from the past isn't here. They're not really in our lives anymore."

"So who could have done it?" Lagoona asked.

"Anyone," Clawd said. "But they probably had a good reason. No one would just step into a jail to free a murderer simply because they felt like it. Especially if they knew the consequences."

The door swung open, and Lamia, Seth, and Viperine ran inside. In Lamia's arms was a folder, and she swung it onto the desk in front of them. She flipped it open and revealed a stack of paperwork.

"What is that?" Clawdeen asked. She peered over the shortest gorgon's shoulder. "And where did you get it from?"

"I have sources," Lamia said distractedly. She flipped through the pages, trying to find a specific one. "This one was Patrick."

"Patrick?" Jackson repeated. "Who's that?"

"A friend."

"A friend with benefits," Seth mumbled. Lamia ignored the comment and instead pulled out a paper from the stack. It was nothing but zeros and ones.

"How is this supposed to help us?" Cleo asked, yanking the paper from Lamia's hands. Lamia pulled it back.

"It will. I promise." She handed the paper to Ghoulia, who knew immediately what it was for. She began plugging the numbers into the computer. When it was finished, a page pulled up with a simple gray screen with a white bar in the middle of the page. It looked sketchy, but that didn't stop Lamia from typing in the password, a series of random letters and numbers, and hitting enter. When she did, she was welcomed with a list of dates and times.

"Please clarify," Operetta said. "What is this?"

Jackson leaned over Ghoulia's shoulder, his blues eyes lighting up with excitement. "It's a database of coding in which you can observe the cells from the jail's technologically-advanced-"

"In English please."

"It's the cameras," Lamia answered. "We're just watching the cameras." Ghoulia clicked on one of the times, but no one was seen in the hallway. "Control S-D speeds it up," Lamia said to Ghoulia, who nodded and pressed the buttons on the keyboard. The video sped up. A few people entered and exited the hallway, but no one stuck out to them. Until-

"What is Toralei doing there?!" Cleo shouted. She pushed Jackson out of the way to glare at the computer screen. The werecat leaned into the door, fidgeting with something on the door. She left the hallway just like the others. As the scene turned dark with night, the cell door pushed open, and the prisoner escaped.

Deuce felt his stomach twist and his heart pound against his chest harder and harder until he sat down in the closest chair. He put his head in his hands, feeling his head spin in circles, going nauseous with the thought of everything. The pictures around him blurred into each other, and he closed his eyes, squeezing them shut as tightly as possible. His throat went dry before he felt a hand on his back, manicured nails tracing lines across his skin through his shirt. He inhaled, trying to get as much oxygen as possible.

"It's fine," Iris said. "It's fine. It's fine. It's cool. Everything's a-okay, right? I mean, he doesn't know where we live or what school we go to."

"That's a good point," Ashton said, slapping Iris's shoulder. "He doesn't know where to find us."

"Except that he won't struggle," Cleo said, continuing to trace shapes into Deuce's shoulder. "It's pretty easy to point you guys out. Ah...no offense. But you're pretty hard to miss."

"Ooh! We could wear disguises!" Lacie said, intrigued by the idea of masquerading as someone else like an undercover agent.

"Or we could just fight back," Jason said. "I'm not hiding from that son of a b*tch."

"Well, I don't think fighting is necessarily the best option," Gabriel said. "I think we should lay low until-"

"Gabriel!" Gwendolyn shouted. "He's going to kill us! Hiding from him will do nothing, especially since we all know that he's impatient. The longer he waits, the worse it gets." She pointed at Deuce with her pinkie, as she had no index finger to point with on that hand. It was the same reddish-tan color as the rest of her, only bruised with purple thanks to her rough nature. "Look at Deuce. Mark told him the longer it took and the closer it was to the end of the month, the worse it would be. He didn't lie. He never lies when it comes to stuff like that."

"But we don't want to be the ones to start this," Evangeline said. "We know how the court treats monsters. If we so much as lay a finger on him, we'll be thrown in jail."

"But they're doing better with knowing who deserves what and when," Kira said. "If they see what he's done, what he plans to do, they'll put him back where he belongs."

"But-"

"Hey, guys!" Frankie shouted over the bickering. "Let's just put it to a vote. Everyone in favor of hiding, laying low, and waiting for the right time, raise your hand." Gabriel, Evangeline, Ianthe, Ashton, and Lacie raised their hands. "Okay, everyone in favor of fighting back to put a stop to all of this, raise your hand." Gwendolyn, Kira, Jason, Iris, and Madison raised their hands.

"Okay, some of you didn't vote!" Gwendolyn said pointedly. She glared daggers at the three who refused to take sides.

"I'm down with whatever," Deuce said, lifting his head out of his hands. "If you want to fight, I'm there. If not, I understand that too."

"I agree," Caleen said, nodding. "Neither are terrific plans, but we don't have the time to sit down and think of a real plan. I won't put up a fight if one side gets their way."

"Both sides are sh*t," Roxie said. She shrugged. "Waiting is just as dangerous as going after him ourselves. And I don't think anyone here respects that." She spun her finger in a small circle on the desk. Dust and dirt collected, forming a tornado a few inches tall and a few centimeters wide. It grew to the length of a pencil before she snapped, and it disappeared in the blink of an eye. Frankie saw this, and she felt her stomach twist as she remembered Caleen's words. She bit her bottom lip and turned away.

"We need a nice middle," Seth said. "How about we wait? We train. Find out what we plan on doing. Learn to fight without using our powers much- since we're monsters and the court will blame us for hurting a human. We practice and practice. And wait. And when Mark comes, we'll be prepared already. We fight with everything in us."

The room was silent for a minute, processing Seth's plan. Finally, Deuce nodded. "I'm good with that."

"It works."

"I like it."

"It's the best one we have."

"It's okay...I guess."

"Shut up."

"You shut up."

"Do you have a better plan?"

"Well, no, but-"

"Then shut up."

"Both of you shut up."

"Ignore them. The plan's great."

"It's a happy medium. That's what matters."

"So are we all good?" Frankie asked.

"No." Everyone turned to look towards Madison. "How are we doing this? How do we plan on fighting? What's our strategy?"

"Some in front. Some in back," Lamia said. "Attack from all sides."

"But don't all come out at once," Iris said. Her finger mindlessly twisted around a blue lock of hair. "For dramatic purposes and in case someone gets hurt."

"We'll plan this out later," Ashton said. "We really just need to focus on learning how."

"We can practice after school," Viperine said. The group nodded in response.

Madison turned to Frankie and her team. "You guys don't have to fight if you don't want to." Her voice didn't waiver. She didn't sound scared or frightened. Yet, Deuce knew she was. She was an even bigger actress than Iris. She'd learned to pretend all her life, and now was no different. "We won't judge you if you back out."

"But you're our friends." Frankie smiled. "And that's what friends do."

* * *

As the bell rang and dismissed the class, Heath was the first one out of the room. Lunch was next, and he needed to commit to the promise. He felt bad about it, but he'd feel worse if he went home with an F. Heath's palms got sweaty as he saw Deuce walk alongside Madison and Ianthe in the crowd. He looked at the middle triplet's chest, and seeing the wide, gaping hole above her left breast made him feel nauseous. He closed his eyes, pretending not to stare as they walked past him. Once they were a good ways down the hallway, he put his hand into his pocket, trying to feel for the pill. He moved the fabric from side to side, touching the seams and the corners. But it was gone. He couldn't feel it anywhere. Panic rose in him as he viciously dug through his jeans' pocket. The left. Then the right. Then the left again. His heart beat faster and faster. It dropped to his stomach when he felt a hole in his pocket.

 _Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap. Crap._ He looked up and down the hallways, trying to find the blue pill on the floor. With all the people in the hallway, it was difficult. Heath bent closer to the ground and hurried along the outskirts of the hallway. His eyes danced across the floors, picking up every little detail it had to offer. A penny. A scratch. A gum wrapper. A chip bag. A paper ball. But no pill.

Finally, he saw it. His heart leapt out of his chest, and he all but ran to the floor. The second he got there, a werewolf boy crushed it unknowingly with his foot. Heath's eyes widened, his heart sinking. He fell to his knees and stared at the blue powder on the floor. _Toralei's gonna kill me._

Not knowing what else to do, he attempted to brush the blue dust into his palm with his fingers. It stuck to his fingers, and he knew he got dirt in it as well, but it didn't faze him. _She'll never know, right?_ Suddenly, a skeleton boy looked at Heath with an odd face, seeing the fire elemental on his hands and knees on the floor. Heath caught sight of this and turned his head to look at the boy. His eyes were wide, and his jaw was dropped.

"I, uh, just...trying to find my contact!" Heath lied. The skeleton continued giving him the look, but he walked away. Heath wiped the imaginary sweat off his forehead before standing up, his hand still cupped and holding the blue powder. Hopefully, this would still work.

* * *

"I just don't understand how someone can be so caught up in...nothing!" Draculaura flipped the page of the magazine. "She's a die hard fan and all, but still! The pictures are getting creepy, and not in a good way."

"You can't expect much," Clawdeen said. She stabbed a piece of broccoli with the plastic fork. She took note of how her purple nail polish was chipping and needed some TLC and a nice manicure.

"But you can expect better pictures," Frankie said. "If she has so many, you'd think she has the practice."

"Not true," Cleo objected. "You'd be surprised."

"He not even attractive!" Abbey said, looking at Draculaura's magazine. Draculaura spit out her green smoothie in shock, and it landed on Cleo's grapes. Cleo squealed and pushed them to the side, where they rolled off the table and fell onto Frankie's lap. Deuce chuckled and stood up to go get napkins.

Madison stared off into space, her eyes staring forward at the wall. She was lost in thought. Her mind wouldn't settle.

 _"ANSWER ME!" She ducked as a glass was thrown at her. It smashed against the wall, and wine stained the walls. "HUH? ANSWER ME!" She lunged under the table, and she felt the man- her foster father- drag the furniture away. The plates and cups smashed to the floor in the process. A butter knife landed inches from her foot. She closed her eyes and covered her head with her hands, trying to receive some form of_ _protection- even if was a mediocre attempt._

 _She felt him grab her by her snakes, which hissed and nipped at his fingers. He yanked her up. Her scalp burned, but the pain was tolerable compared to the rest. He slammed her up against the wall, leaning into her face. She muttered apology after apology, but nothing sufficed. Nothing stopped the harsh words that lashed out at her, slitting her cheeks like knives._

 _She looked down to see Elijah on the floor. He was unconscious. Blood poured from his mouth, which was wide open. His eyes remained unclosed, and a bruise began forming on his right cheekbone. Her heart ached for him, but there was nothing she could do for him._

 _She could only fend for herself._

"Madison?" The gorgon looked towards the sound of the voice. Clawdeen stared at her, curiosity written all over her face. "Uh...you okay, ghoul?"

"What?" She threw her crumpled napkin in her lap. "Oh, yeah. Of course."

"You seemed a little off there..." The wolf said. "If you need anything, let us know."

"Okay."

"No, I'm serious." Clawdeen's golden eyes bored into her own. "If you need anything- anything at all...you let us know." Madison nodded.

"Oh no," Frankie said, rolling her eyes. "Here comes-"

"Heath Burns," Heath said, skidding over to the group, "at your service." He grabbed Gwendolyn's hand, which was becoming hotter and hotter with each second. "Hey, baby. Did you fall from heaven? Because you-"

"No, I crawled my way up from hell." Heath's face dropped, and Gwendolyn ignored it. She grabbed her fork and picked up a piece of pork. "Now, get lost before I make you leave myself."

"Come on, baby," Heath coaxed. "I know your skin may be warm, but your heart is warmer." Gwendolyn jabbed the fork into his arm, and Heath shrieked, running off to the other side of the table. Gwendolyn acted like it was nothing, simply rolling her eyes and sitting back down. She licked the blood off the prongs and continued eating her lunch.

When Heath made it to the other side, he felt his hands grow clammy. Madison sat in front of him. He didn't realize how beautiful she was until he really got a close up. Her face was heart-shaped with flawless skin that looked soft as silk. Her raspberry lips were full and pouty with a slight cupid's bow. Her nose was pert, and her green snakes framed her face like an angel's halo. But most of all, he found himself staring into her contact-covered eyes. The liveliest of green. Bright and vibrant with snake-slit pupils that spoke of mysteriousness. He felt his mouth go dry.

"I, uh, I-"

"Go away, Heath," Cleo said, rolling her eyes.

"Are you a campfire?"

"Heath..." Clawdeen pressed.

"Cause you're hot and I want s'more." Madison just looked at him, looking bored out of her mind.

"That wasn't that good of a pickup line."

"Okay, well, how about this one? We're not socks. But I think we'd make a great pair." Still, he received nothing. "I ain't no hipster, but I can make your hips stir." Again, Madison looked stultified. She reached for her cup and took a long, slow sip of the water inside. It was only then he remembered his mission. "Hey, let me see that," he said, pointing to her cup.

"Why?" Madison asked, raising an arched brow.

"Just let me-"

"Heath." Heath jumped a foot into the air, falling into Deuce, who was standing behind him. "Stop flirting with her."

"I...I wasn't..."

"Just go!" Cleo shouted.

Without a word, Heath left. _I need to find a way to get this in her drink._

As Deuce sat back down in his seat, Heath sat at the table across from them next to a group of nerds, each looking mighty surprised that the fire elemental took a seat next to them.

Hey, uh, guys?" The geeks all looked up towards him, their eyes wide with surprise and confusion. Not only was the class clown sitting with them, but he was also _talking_ to them as well. "How would I sneak a drug into some girl's drink?" One of the nerd girls squealed and ran off, one of her cheap pink flip-flops almost falling off on the way to the bathroom. "Was it something I said?"

* * *

Madison stepped into the band room, inhaling the smell of old brass, fresh reeds, and spit. It was a pungent scent that she'd grown to love over the years of being in the musiv production. Sitting in one of the chairs, she carefully unlatched the black case and opened it to reveal a shiny silver instrument. She lifted it up gently. She'd forgotten how heavy it was, but that didn't stop her from resting it on her lap. She slid the heavy mouthpiece in and put her lips to the metal.

"I didn't know you could play baritone." Madison turned to look at the boy in the band room. His hair was made completely of fire, and his blue skin contrasted against the warm colors of the flames. His clothes were mismatched to the point where they were almost tacky, but they seemed to fit him.

"Holt Hyde," Madison said, letting out a grin. "I was wondering how long it'd take to finally meet you in person."

"How do you know my name?" Holt said. He didn't say it in a way that seemed cautious and worried. Instead, it was welcoming yet curious. "It wasn't that dweeb, Jackson, was it?"

"Nah," Madison said. "I've just got a way with names. Holt smirked, grabbing a trumpet and taking a seat next to the gorgon.

"So what brings you here?" He asked. "I don't think I've seen you around."

"I'm Deuce's sister."

"Huh. Didn't know he had one."

"You probably know less about him than you think." She smiled. "But hey, who doesn't?"

"That's probably true." Holt returned it. The blue of his skin made his teeth appear whiter. "It's good to have some secrets."

"Maybe."

"So what's your name?"

"Madison Gorgon."

Holt grinned. "I can remember that."

* * *

Lagoona hurried down the hall, her wedges clicking against the tile. "Gil!" She called. The water monster turned around to look at her before stopping to wait for her. "Is everything okay?" She asked as they continued to walk now that she was at his side.

"Yeah," Gil said. "Why?"

"I don't know. You just seem sort of...distant."

"I'm probably just tired."

"You weren't like this until the new blood showed up."

"Ashton's in my second period." Gil smiled. "He's draining."

"At least he's fun to be around," Lagoona said. They walked in silence for a moment before Lagoona spoke again. "Are you sure there's nothing wrong?"

"Yeah, I'm sure."

"I just feel like something's bothering you." She stopped to look at him. Her eyes seemed sad, which he noticed.

"Deuce is one of my best bloodies," Gil said. "I feel kinda...betrayed...that I didn't know about any of this."

"I knew something was bothering you!" Lagoona said.

"Well..." Gil said.

"But no one knew about Deuce," she said. "Not Clawd, not Jackson, not even his own ghoulfriend!" Lagoona laid a webbed hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "Don't feel upset about it. He kept it a secret from everyone, not just you."

"I guess." Gil looked down. "Still sucks to know he doesn't trust us."

"It's not that, I can assure you that much," Lagoona said. "With Spectra floating around, rumors were sure to start. Deuce never liked being a part of that."

"Good point."

"Don't be upset," Lagoona said with a smile. "It'll all work out in the end."

* * *

"No way!" Holt yelled. "That movie is so lame!"

"No, it's not!" Madison laughed, smacking Holt gently with the sheet music.

"Yeah, it is. It's so gross."

"It was award-winning, and actions speak louder than words, so hmph! In your face!"

Heath heard the laughter from down the hallway, and it wasn't hard to know who was in the room. He was grateful that their newfound friendship served as a distraction, but something about it felt wrong. But that didn't stop him from squeezing though the door and sneaking across the room, back against the wall. Heath spotted Madison's book bag against the back leg of her chair. A sweat broke out as he inched towards the two, thankful that the band room floor was carpeted to muffle the sound of his shoes.

"How many awards did Les Misérables win? Huh? Go on. Name some."

"Okay, how about the Academy Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role? Anne Hathaway won it for the movie. Golden Globes. Best Motion Picture. Oh! And how about the tons for best costumes and hair and makeup and-"

"Okay! You win!" Madison smiled victoriously. "But I still don't like the movie."

"Whatever."

Finally, Heath made it to the row behind Madison and Holt. The gorgon's book bag leaned against the leg of the chair, and Heath moved like a snail in order to not get caught. When he reached the strap, he dragged it closer gently, careful not to make a sound. Luckily for him, it was already unzipped and in it, he spotted two water bottles- both opened. Before he had time to regret it, he grabbed the first one he saw and unscrewed the cap. He dusted the blue contents into the bottle, and just as Toralei had said, it disappeared on contact, disintegrating into the liquid. He twisted the lid back on and gently returned the water bottle to the book bag before sneaking back out of the band room. The second the door closed, a wave of guilt rushed over him. _I truly am a monster._

* * *

"If we want to beat him, we need to train," Lamia said. She swung a knife a good yards away at a monster reading a book. The knife hit the tree he was leaning against, missing his ear by a centimeter. The monster looked up, fear etched across his face. "Rule One." Lamia looked back to the monsters who were all standing in a row. "Never _ever_ let your guard down."

"And be prepared at every side," Seth said. "They can come at any angle and at any time."

"Never show your weakness," Deuce said.

"But don't show your strengths first either," Seth said. "Where's the fun in that? You need that element of surprise. That's a strength on its own."

"And remember that no one is truly on your side," Madison said.

"Look at Italy in World War I," Lamia added.

"Don't try to hide," Deuce said.

"And when you stab," Madison said, "drag the blade down and twist as you remove."

"See?" Lamia said. "It's not hard. Common sense, really." She pointed the Draculaura. "So what can you do?"

"Well...uh, you see..." Lamia raised an eyebrow. "I'm not a huge fighter."

"Perfect. Nice to know you care."

"We can have some people that can take care of the wounded," Gabriel offered. "I'm not a huge fighter myself, but I've got a knack for healing. That'll be pretty helpful."

"Alright fine," Lamia said. "Pansies can be with Gabe." Gabriel stared at her, his jaw dropped.

"Hey, I'm not a pansy!"

"You're right. You're a p*ssy."

As Gabriel and Lamia bickered and as the rest of them settled business, Madison felt her mind wandering to that specific memory once more. She tried to pull away, but she just couldn't stop it from replaying like a broken record.

 _After an hour, her foster father let them go back upstairs. Madison helped Elijah up the stairs, as he was too weak to go up them without assistance. They got to the room, and Madison let go off him to shut and lock the door. He reached under the mattress and pulled out the picture of his parents. He touched their smiling faces gently with his fingertips._ _With nothing left to do with himself, Elijah fell to the floor on his knees. He fell forward, landed on his face, and cried. It was the worst noise she'd ever heard. So full of pain and agony. He was too young to know pain like that. But alas, life works in strange ways._

 _She put her hand on his back, rubbing it only on the spots she knew weren't bruised. He looked up at her, his eyes watery and so full of torment. She saw the blue flash emerald green. His pupils were slits for only a split second. She suddenly felt sick._

 _"You remind me of my brother, you know that?"_

 _"You have a brother?" He asked, wiping his tears._

 _She nodded. "Yeah." She couldn't meet his eyes. "I do."_

 _"What's he like?"_

 _"Too good for the world," she answered truthfully. "He's so sweet. So loyal. So calm through everything. He's funny and can sing and cook and is an all-around great person. He's my triplet. Well, twin if you don't count the other. So we've always been close."_

 _"What happened to him?" Elijah's tears had stopped by now. He was too focused. Too caring. Just like Deuce._

 _"We got separated. He's in a boys' home miles away. St. Judas, I think it's called." The words hurt to say. They felt forced. But they were also a weight lifted. It felt better to tell Elijah. Or tell anyone, for that matter._

 _"You should go find him one day," he said._

 _"I will," Madison said. "One day."_

"Madison, are you even listening to me?"

"Huh? What?" The others giggled as Lamia rolled her crystal eyes.

"And this brings us to our next rule." Lamia grabbed Maddie's face with her thumb on Maddie's left cheek and her index finger on her right cheek. "Don't let your mind wander in the middle of a fight."

"I'm sorry, okay?" She said. "It won't happen again."

"This has been happening a lot," Ianthe said. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine! I promise!"

"Maybe it's like a part of your PTSD," Seth said. "Blanking off at random times."

"No, it's not that. It's okay. Really, it is."

"This can't happen during the fight," Lamia said. "You're sure to get a blade right," the white-haired gorgon put a knife up against Madison's stomach gently, "here." She removed the blade from her cousin's torso. "And you're one of our strongest fighters. We can't have you going out that easily."

"I know, I know." Madison closed her eyes. Lamia knitted her eyebrows and turned away.

"Alright." She handed Cleo the knife. "Show me why Deuce chose you."

"Certainly not for my fighting skills," Cleo said, looking down at the knife in her hand. Lamia shrugged.

"Cleo fights more with her words than weapons," Frankie said.

"Well, excuse me for telling the truth, but words will get you nowhere in this," Lamia said.

"Not true," Deuce said. "Words can hurt way more than-"

"Okay, shut up. We don't need your input." Deuce rolled his eyes. "But still." Her eyes met Cleo's. "Throw the blade."

Cleo tore her eyes away from the sharp silver. "Where?" Lamia pointed to the tree, where the monster who'd been reading had long gone. Cleo took a deep breath, steadied her shaking hands. She lifted her arm and threw the knife. It stuck into the tree, a few inches from a heart that had been carved by two lovebirds. Lamia nodded.

"Not bad," she said. "Not bad at all. With a little more practice, you'll get the heart."

Cleo released a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She hoped she wouldn't have to kill anyone. Not like her family had centuries again.

* * *

He tapped his toe on the carpet. He knew that name. Madison Gorgon. But where? He hit the pen in his hand against the notebook in his lap. The metal spirals clinked against the plastic cap. He saw it on the notebook, and that was the name that girl gave, but he knew he heard it before that. Something was missing, but he didn't know what.

"Holt?" He looked up and saw Operetta leaning against the doorframe, her eyes glued to his. "What you stressing about, sugar?"

"Stressing?" Heath said, forcing a laugh. "I ain't stressing."

"Uh huh. And I'm a shapeshifting, pink elephant that travels with the circus." The phantom took a seat beside her friend. "What's wrong?"

"I feel like I know something about that girl Madison, but I don't know what. And I know I can help, but I don't know how."

"Don't get yourself choked up about it." Operetta put her hand on Holt's shoulder. "It'll come to you eventually. But in the meantime, you have other things to worry about."

"Yeah, you're right," Holt said. He sighed. "But I feel like there's something important I need to tell you. It's on the tip of my tongue, but I don't know what it is."

"If it's meant for us to know, you'll remember." Operetta stood up. "Now, c'mon. I just got me a new set of keys and I'm just dying to try them out!"

* * *

The girl heard voices coming from the edge of the forest, and she recognized them almost immediately. As curiosity got the best of her, she climbed one of the trees and hopped from one branch to the the next until she could clearly see the group of monsters.

She recognized about half of them, but there were more she'd never seen in her life. A lab creation. Werewolves. A vampire. A zombie. A mummy. A phantom. A yeti. A sea creature. And...a human? Odd, but not impossible.

Everyone else she recognized. She remembered their faces like the back of her hand. But one thing she'd never realized became evident:

They all had green eyes.

But she didn't.

Every one of them had the emerald green eyes that linked them together and let people know they were a family. But her eyes were violet. A purple that contrasted so deeply against her ivory skin that it was hard to believe she was one of them.

She always wished her eyes were the emerald green that they all had. She wanted to let them know that she was a part of them. But she decided it was better not to focus on things she couldn't change.

She peered out from behind her voluminous black curls. One day, she'd meet them. But until then, she didn't mind hiding in the shadows.

* * *

Scarah looked down at the book in her lap. As she flipped through the pages, it felt like nothing made much sense. She knew that spirits were those who died peacefully and ghosts were those who died suddenly, but coming back to life the same monster you were? It was unheard of. _Ghoulia really must've done a number on them_.

Suddenly, the banshee felt the room lower a few degrees in temperature. The air smelled like vanilla and sugar. "I know you're there, Spectra." The ghost appeared instantly, her pale, haunting face framed by her voluminous purple waves.

"I'm sorry!" She said, her high-pitched voice barely piercing Scarah's ears. "I didn't mean to bother you. I was just curious. I'll just be leaving now."

"Wait, hold on, Spectra!" The ghost froze. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure," she said, raising an eyebrow, "about what?"

"Is it possible to die and come back as your original form?" Spectra thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Not that I know of."

"Oh."

"Is this about the new students?"

"Yeah," Scarah said as she let out a sigh. "I feel like it's important to know, but it seems impossible."

"The project is over," Spectra said. "Why does it bother you?"

"It doesn't really bother me, per se. It's just interesting. It should be impossible! I guess that's what makes it so intriguing."

"We're monsters," Spectra said. "We always do the impossible."

"That's what Invisi Billy said," the banshee said, smiling without knowing it.

Spectra settled beside Scarah and ran her ghostly fingers through the banshee's thick, black hair. "Ghoulia's a wiz in all the subjects. That includes chemistry. She knows how to accomplish even more impossible things than most monsters do." She stood up. "It's nothing to worry about really."

"But if they aren't ghosts or spirits," Scarah asked, "then what are they?"

"Monsters. Just like us."

* * *

Roxie spun her finger in her finger in a circle on the desk. She watched as the dust and dirt collected, spiraling into a skinny tornado the size of her index finger. She could faintly make out the whispering behind her. She didn't have to look to know they were pointing at her. She didn't have to strain to hear to know they were talking about her. She was used to it by now, and therefore, paid it no more attention than the teacher in the front of the room, who she didn't even bother to learn the name of.

She knew what it was about too. It was always the same topic. _If you and Alessia are twins, then how come you don't look alike? How come she's so much prettier? How come she's nicer? Why can't you be like her,_ _Roxanne_ _?_

The air elemental rolled her eyes, the same ones that her sister had. _I'm sorry that I'm not perfect_ , she thought. _I'm sorry that Lacie and I aren't the same person, so stop acting like it. Having a twin doesn't mean sharing a brain._

She loved Lacie; really, she did. But she hated being compared to her. Whenever Lacie was around, everyone would pay attention, but as for Roxie, they wouldn't bat an eye. They wouldn't even talk to her, and if they did, it was to ask why she wasn't more like her sister.

The tornado inched higher and higher. It marked yet another difference between the two.

She heard her mother's voice through the students' voices. "Roxie, why can't you be more like your sister? She's always been such a good girl. Why can't you be?" It only got worse after her twin died, and it wasn't long until she snapped.

The tornado knocked the paper off her desk. Roxie sighed. _How much longer until this class ends?_

* * *

Holt rocked back and forth, letting the music take control of him. His toe tapped against the carpeted floor, and he nodded with the beat. As his headphones blasted the peppy music, he let it envelop him, wrap him in each measure.

Suddenly, he dropped the headphones. His eyes widened, and his jaw laid slack. _Madison Gorgon._ She was in Music Festival. She won consecutively for seven years before winning four more times at county, state, nationals, and tiebreaker. Her group was well known for beating out the others in multiple competitions, although they were younger than everyone else. They were legends. She was a legend.

Until they stopped.

Right before they were going to the international competition, they withdrew. _Deuce_ withdrew, Holt thought. He said an accident occurred, and they wouldn't participate.

That was the last time anyone heard from them.

Holt felt his mind swam. _They backed out because Madison died. They declined everything because they knew how much it meant to Madison, and they wouldn't do it without her. They did it because of her._

He put his head in his hands. It all clicked. Everyone at the competition knew the story of how she rose to fame- it was told every year when the competition started. Yet, no one knew why they stopped.

It was all so clear now.

Holt shook his head and stood up. _I just need to go get some water_ , he thought. _Something_.

* * *

Madison pulled out her notebook and pencil. She really needed to get started on her project. She tapped the pencil's eraser on the notebook, trying to wrack her brain for a good introduction.

Suddenly, she felt her fingers let go of the pencil. It dropped to the floor. Bounced once. Bounced twice. She could hear it against the floor. Every little noise seemed louder. She heard whispering, but no one was in the room with her. It started out muffled, but it grew clearer and clearer until she could make out the words.

 _"I'm so sick." Madison raised an eyebrow as she looked towards him. He ran his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "I'm so sick of staying here," he said. "Of this place. Of these people that only keep us for the d*mn money. Of everything." He got off the bed and grabbed a candle off the dresser. He screamed and threw it against the wall. The glass broke. Millions and millions of shards. But the wax remained intact._

 _He stared at the wall and the floor. The broken shards of glass that would never be picked up. "I can't," he said. "I can't do it."_

 _They sat in silence for a moment, both just needing the time to think. Suddenly, Madison stood up, her legs shaking as she got off the bed._

 _"I have a_ _proposal." Elijah looked at her questioningly. "I say we get back at them."_

 _He stood up to meet her height. "You...you don't mean..."_

 _"We get them back for everything they've ever done to us and everyone else." Her breath shook, but his stilled. He was listening to every word. "We leave. Plan. Get supplies. Live a little bit before the big night."_

 _"And then?" He asked._

 _"And we are going to return." She stared at him, her emerald eyes cold with hate. "And we are going to burn._

 _"That._

 _"F*cking._

 _"House._

 _"To the ground."_

* * *

The trees began to fade into each other. She ran quicker and quicker, trying to escape the cries she spent her whole life hiding from.

 _"Where are my children?"_ The woman cried. _"Mis hijos!"_

The girl ran quicker, trying to cover her ears. The screams were horrible. They were the cries of death.

Her feet pounded against the dirt, darting faster and faster away from the woman who she'd learned to despise. The woman who had drowned her. Just like she'd drowned her brothers in a fit of rage and jealousy.

She looked behind her to see if the woman was on her tail. It was only then that she felt herself collide with something, and she fell to the ground. She lifted her head, and her eyes met those of a man in his forties. His hair was mousy brown, and he had a cleft chin. He had thick, arched eyebrows that framed his face, as well as stubble laced on his cheeks and chin. But the most noticeable thing was his eyes. Green as could be. Greener than all the world's emeralds and meadows and grasses and plants. But they were cold as ice.

He looked at her in horror before running off the other way, and although he was clothed in bright orange, he disappeared into the trees.

She couldn't help but look back to the man she'd barely remembered. "Papá?"

* * *

Ianthe tapped her pen against the notebook, listening to the clock tick as time passed. She turned to Madison, who sat beside her.

"This class seemed a lot more interesting in the other side," she whispered.

"Yeah, I don't know why we did that," Madison said.

"It was cool to take the classes without having to get graded," Ianthe responded. "And we're caught up to our own age group, so that's pretty great."

"I guess." Madison slumped back into her seat. "The class still sucks though."

"It's our last period. We're doing training again after school today."

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that."

Ianthe rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Hey, do you have my water?"

"What?"

"The one you told me you'd hold on to?"

"Oh, yeah!" Madison reached into her bag and pulled out one of the water bottles. She checked the label, where she saw a small 'I' written next to the nutrition facts label. She handed it to her sister.

"Thank you!"

"No problem."

* * *

His hands shook as he dialed the number into his cell phone. His breath was just as shaky, and he tried to steady it as he heard the rings. The first ring. The second. The third.

On the sixth ring, the person on the other end picked up. "Hello. This is Wednesday Barren. How can I help you?"

"Hey, Wednesday. This is Holt Hyde." He took a deep breath. "I have something to tell you about Madison."

* * *

"Deep breath in," Deuce said. Cleo felt his warm breath on the shell of her ear. It sent chills down her spine. "Loosen your grip a bit. Don't be so tense." She complied, and loosened her grip. "Good. Keep your eyes focused on the target." She stared ahead at the red painted a long ways in front of her. "Go."

The arrow flew from the bow like a swordfish through the ocean. It cut through the air like a knife and landed perfectly in the target, the painting circles on the tree. Deuce grinned and kissed her neck in the spot that he knew made her weak to the knees. She groaned and leaned back against him.

"You're doing a lot better, Cleo," Seth said, grinning at the mummy. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you knew how to do this before."

"And bows are good, since you can get a low of distance without sparing your weapon," Madison said. "I prefer a knife, but that means it's all close-contact if you don't want to risk throwing your knife and either losing it or missing the intended target. Bow will be better for you."

"Can we work on hand-to-hand combat?" Lagoona asked. "I feel like we all need to work on that a little more."

"Of course!" Madison said.

"Well, who's up first?" Clawd asked, rolling up his sleeves.

"Ooh!" Frankie said, raising a mint hand in the air. "Pick me!"

Seth laughed. "Alright, alright. We can pair Frankie with Ianthe."

"That sounds good," Madison agreed, nodding.

Frankie and Ianthe stepped in the middle of the circle formed by the group. They lifted their fists into the correct positioning before Frankie stepped first, taking the first swing. Ianthe stepped out of it, dodging it gracefully.

Suddenly, she felt her head start spinning. Her vision began getting foggy, transitioning between all black and all white. As Frankie swung again, she didn't step out of the way and landed a punch to the chest. The gorgon fell to the ground, coughing violently. Her vision kept fading, and she felt nauseous almost instantly. She couldn't see the monsters around her, but she could feel them, grabbing at her arms, putting fingers to her neck and wrists, and trying to keep her upright. Ashton and Lacie tried to get her to sit up and put her head between her knees, but she fought them, albeit weakly. She wanted nothing more than to just lay down and sleep.

"Ianthe!" She heard Deuce yell for her, but he sounded so distant. "Violet, open your eyes. Look at me, Vi." But she couldn't. It felt like weights were laying on her eyelids. They were so heavy, and she didn't want to tear her eyes open. She felt herself press up against someone- who she suspected was Deuce, and she laid against him.

"What's wrong with her?"

"Is it the heat?"

"It's like, sixty degrees out!"

"Okay, so?"

"Maybe she's overexerting herself."

"I don't know."

"Do you think she needs a hospital?"

"No idea."

She couldn't decipher the muttering around her, and all the voices seemed to swarm together. She felt bile rise to the back of her throat. She felt it lurch up, and she pushed herself aside, away from everyone else, before throwing up into grass. It was sour and bitter, and everything burned. But most noticeably, it was blue.

"Meow..." The group looked up to see Toralei stroll over, her tail swinging behind her. "What do we have here?"

"Go away, Toralei," Clawdeen snapped. "Now's not the time for your-"

"Hey, I just wanted to see what all the commotion was about!" Toralei defended. "Shame you lost your best fighter right before the big-" She cut herself off, seeing that the gorgon didn't have the most noticeable difference between the identical set of triplets: the hole in her chest.

Toralei screamed. She stomped at the concrete. "HEATH!"

Heath stumbled out of the school, down the steps, and into the courtyard. "Y-yes?"

Toralei pointed a finger towards Ianthe, who had by now passed out cold into her brother's lap. "What is the meaning of this?" She grabbed the fire elemental by the collar of his shirt, yanking him towards her. "You had one job! One!" She dropped him to the ground. "And you couldn't even do that right!"

"There were two water bottles!" Heath cried. "What was I supposed to do?"

"Wait, what?" Clawd all but yelled. "What did you do?"

Toralei smirked evilly. "As you all know, dear old Dad escaped prison a few days ago. Surely, you knew that. I figured you could use a little... _boost_...per se, to help you." She glared at Heath. "Until this fool screwed it up for me!"

"What did you give her?" Jason asked, his voice seeming to get even deeper with anger.

"Just a little pill," Toralei answered, shrugging. "It was supposed to go to Madison, over here. But beggars can't be choosers, I guess."

Madison's eyes lit up in fury, and she lunged towards the werecat. Clawd and Seth held her back, knowing the gorgon would tear out her throat if she laid her hands on her. "You're sick!" Madison cried. She spit on the orange werecat.

Toralei rubbed the saliva off her cheek. "Should've let me talk during the project, Deuce. This is all your doing." Deuce paled at her words. She smiled tightly. "Have a nice day now." And with that, she walked away.

Ianthe rolled onto her side, coughing but never opening her eyes. Madison laced her fingers into her sister's snakes.

"Alright, that's been enough training for the day," Seth said. He sighed. "We should all probably get some rest."

"Yeah," Frankie said, slumping against a tree. "That sounds good."

* * *

 _The weight of the gas can felt heavy, but she knew the burden would be heavier. The night was cold, yet the chill wouldn't last long. Her feet sank into the dirt and dry grass, which she knew would help the walls burn quicker. Hopefully before the firemen showed up._ _Hopefully before the neighbors heard the screams._

 _The two stopped. Madison put down the gas can near her feet. She looked to her left to see Elijah staring at the house. His eyes were lost. Unfocused. Apathetic._

 _"What's the plan?" He said, continuing to stare at the building._

 _"We go in through the side door- the one that's always unlocked," she said. "We soak the top floor first, then the ground level. We leave the house together. When we're both out, we light the match. We throw one on each side of the building, then make a run for it. We'll be gone before anyone knows it was us." Elijah nodded, letting the words sink in. They were going to do this. They were going to burn down the house. They were going to commit arson. They were going to commit murder._

 _Elijah turned to her. His eyes reflected the stars in the sky. "Are you sure you want to do this?"_

 _Madison sighed. She didn't. She wanted to back out. She wanted to kneel on the cold earth and beg for forgiveness for even conjuring up this insane idea. "Yes," she said. "I'm sure."_

 _The two disappeared through the side door before making their way up the stairs, tiptoeing as silently as humanly possible. They split up. Madison started with their bedroom. She soaked the floors. The walls. The books on the shelves. The blankets on the mattresses. The dressers. The little that they had. She moved to the hall next, then the bathroom. She paid special attention to the possessions made up paper. The portraits and posters. The origami crane that sat so peacefully on the top of the doorframe, left by the one of the foster children that lived here prior. Her gas can was half empty when she met up with Elijah again. His eyes were full of malice and excitement as they crept into the master bedroom._

 _Their sleeping faces would haunt her forever. They'd wake up to the smell of their bodies burning. They'd wake up to the sound of their spouse screaming. Or maybe they wouldn't wake up at all. Maybe they'd sleep right through the flames. They'd get a sample of hell before witnessing the real deal. Madison closed her eyes as she drenched their bedroom. Elijah took care of the blankets and sheets that cocooned the couple- the couple that was supposed to take care of them. Unlike her, he felt no pity. Unlike her, he felt no mercy. Unlike her, he would love every second of their pain._

 _They made their way downstairs, where they split off again. Madison took the kitchen, the office, the living room. She dumped the contents of the gas can on the antique mahogany desk she loved. She and Eli carved their names in the bottom, just like all the other foster children who'd lived there had done. Jack, Mercedes, Israel, Harper, Destiny, Kendall, Ariel, Grace, Cole, Caleb, Elijah,_ _Madison._ _There were twelve names. Just like the twelve siblings she had from her paternal side: the half siblings, the full siblings, the stepsisters. She tried not to think about it._ _Elijah took the halls, the guest room, the dining room. He finished earlier than her. He leaned against the doorframe, watching Madison pour the remaining bit of gasoline on the couch cushions. She hurried back to the kitchen, turning the gas on the stove, but not lighting the flame. The two left the building, and Elijah emptied his fuel on the sides of the house. They stepped back, staring at the house one last time._

 _Madison reached into her pocket and revealed a box of matches. She pulled one out and took a deep breath before striking it against the rough edge of the box. The flame lit up the night._

 _"Eli, wait for me here," Madison said. "I'm going to make my way around the house. I'll meet you back here. I shouldn't take long." Elijah nodded. Taking a deep breath in, she walked to the side of the house. Before she had a chance to regret it, she tossed the match into the house. The gasoline-soaked wall caught immediately. The dry grass added to the torment as flames began licking the side of the building, making its way inside. She headed to the backyard, fidgeting with the box in her hand. She pulled out another match, watching it strike against the box. The flame dance on the top of the wood. The wind causing it to tilt oh-so-dangerously. It was invigorating. And with that, she threw that match too._

 _On the front yard, Elijah waited for Madison to return. He paced along the driveway, getting more and more anxious with each second. He could see the flames. They were building up quickly. Someone would catch them if they didn't hurry._ _Suddenly, he felt his heart drop._

 _The picture._

 _Without thinking, he ran to the side door, swinging it open and running towards the stairs. The hardwood floors were slippery with gasoline, and it took everything in him to not slip and fall. He grabbed onto the rail with slippery, gasoline-covered hands and scurried up the flight, not caring in the slightest if he woke up the foster parents. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he raced towards the bedroom. He entered the small room. Pushed the mattress off the bed. Rummaged through the hidden possessions. Trying to find the photo. Praying to anyone who was listening._

 _And then the room caught._

 _When she heard the scream, she lost all sense of sanity._ Oh no. No no no no no no! _She raced to the side door, which was thankfully not on the side she'd already lit. The door was opened. Elijah had went back in._ He's so stupid. He's so stupid. Ohmygodsohmygodsohmygods! _Her heart raced. The bottom of her pants soaked with gasoline, and flames inched up her ankles to her calves. She couldn't think. The only thought running through her mind was_ I need to get him out. What have I done? What have I done?

What have I done?

 _The ceiling collapsed, falling in her path and on her body. She tried to shake it away, but it was too heavy. She struggled against the weight of_ _the wall, the ceiling, the wood, and the ash. It wasted valuable time. With everything in her, she pushed up. The broken pieces of the house fell around her. The back of her shirt was torn, and embers danced across it. Then, that caught too. She could feel the flames eating through the material and into her skin. She ripped the shirt off over her head, thankful she had snakes instead of flammable human hair._

 _Time slowed. The walls began to crumble in on her. The smell of gasoline was nauseating. She couldn't think straight. Couldn't see more than the red, the yellow, the orange. Flames crawled up her body, ready to engulf it. Her bra and pants were torn and burnt. Her shirt laid on the floor, covered in fire and long gone, with no hope of being salvaged. Her shoes and socks had fallen apart, turned to ash in the flames, and her feet were left bare to fight against the fire. But she couldn't think about that. She needed to find Elijah. Elijah, the boy she'd come to love so easily. So quickly. Her brother not of blood. Her hope. Her light._

 _And he was going to die._

 _He screamed. Fire ate his skin first, then his muscle. Everything burned. He tried to pat away the flames. Try to tame them. But they were impossible. The fire was hungry, and he was the perfect feast. There was nothing he could do. He couldn't move. He laid on the floor, trying to relish the life he had left. He watched his skin turn black as night. He gagged at the smell of human flesh burning-_ his _flesh burning. With all his energy, he lifted his arm. The fire slowly ate the thin paper as it burned at the corner, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He felt his eyes droop as he saw his parents' warm smiles. His mom's white wedding dress. His father's tuxedo. The flowers. The love. He smiled. He would finally be home._

 _Madison grabbed onto the rail, which was slippery with gas. She couldn't hold on, so she let go off it. She hurried up until she_ _saw that the stairs were completely engulfed. A wall of flames blocked her from reaching him. It was too thick. Too hot. It was impossible to get through. He was gone. So close yet, so far away. The last thing she heard was his screams. And there was nothing to do. Nowhere to go. But down._

She woke up in a cold sweat, sitting upright in her bed. Her comforter and blankets were hanging off the bed from when she kicked them off. She heard her heart pounding. Her fan moving the air around the room. Medusa rapping her knuckles against the bedroom door. Asking her if she was okay. Saying that she heard screaming. The key was in the lock. Wriggling around. His screams echoing in her ears. Everything was so _loud_.

She looked down to see her hands and feet. They were cracked, red, and blistered. They would always be blistered. Reminders of that night. Reminders that she was a murderer. That she would always be a murderer.

And with nothing left in her, she cried.

* * *

 **Poor Madison! Hopefully, that sheds some light on why she's how she is.**

 **Foreshadowing arises with the new girl with the purple eyes! She'll come back; just you wait!**

 **Some parts were heavily inspired by We Were Liars by Emily Lockhart. It's a work of art that I highly suggest reading, but you ****probably shouldn't read the end in public if you're faint of heart.**

 **The title comes from "Creatures" by Motionless in White.**


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